Kwara police confirm attack as violence spreads across northern communities

The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed an attack on Eruku, a town in Ekiti Local Government Area, saying two people were killed and a vigilante member injured during the incident on Tuesday evening.

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The command’s spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said in a statement that the divisional police officer in Eruku and his team, supported by local vigilantes, moved toward the outskirts of the town after hearing gunfire around 6 p.m. She said the response forced the attackers to retreat into the bush.

According to the statement, a man identified as Aderemi was later found dead inside the Christ Apostolic Church, Oke Isegun. Another victim, Tunde Asaba Ajayi, was discovered in the bush with fatal gunshot wounds. A vigilante member, Segun Alaja, sustained injuries and was taken to ECWA Hospital in Eruku for treatment.

Mrs Ejire-Adeyemi said the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, commended the joint security response and assured residents that operations would continue until the attackers are apprehended. She said further details would be released as investigations progress.

Residents of Eruku told reporters that the attackers stormed the church, firing shots that sent worshippers running.

Several people were reportedly seized and taken away through bush paths linking the town to neighbouring communities, though security officials have not confirmed the abductions.

Broader insecurity grips Kwara North

The incident in Eruku adds to the growing unease across communities in Kwara’s southern and northern districts, where repeated attacks have displaced families and disrupted farming and trade.

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Three villagers are still being held after armed groups raided Ndanakun, a settlement in Patigi Local Government Area.

Residents fled the community two weeks ago following sustained attacks and heavy ransom demands.

A youth leader who visited the deserted village said no resident had returned to sleep there, adding that many now move only in daylight because they fear renewed raids.

Other communities have faced similar assaults. In Rogun, Kpada District of Patigi, two security operatives were killed on Sunday night when gunmen attacked a police outpost.

The attack forced families to flee into surrounding bushes. Days earlier, two senior chiefs were abducted in Oreke, Ifelodun Local Government Area, triggering another round of displacement.

The police have reported isolated gains, including an operation last week in Adekanbi, Moro Local Government Area, where officers and vigilantes killed a suspected bandit and recovered a rifle and thirty-two rounds of ammunition.

READ ALSO: Three villagers still held as bandits sack Kwara community

The command said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to check criminal activity in known flashpoints.

Despite these actions, residents in Patigi, Ifelodun and parts of Moro say fear remains widespread due to the absence of permanent security deployment in remote villages.

As of Tuesday night, police authorities had not provided updates on those reportedly taken during the Eruku attack or on the condition of abducted villagers in earlier incidents.