Bandits Invade Eruku Community In Kwara At Dawn, Burn Vehicle As Vigilantes, Forest Guards Repel Suspected Kidnapping Attempt

Ilorin,  Kwara State– Suspected terrorists believed to be bandits on Friday morning invaded Eruku community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, as local security operatives, including vigilantes and forest guards, confronted the attackers and repelled the operation.

Residents said the attack occurred at about 5:00 a.m. when heavily armed gunmen stormed the community.

A resident of the community who spoke to Afrika Eyes said the attack was not the first time armed bandits had targeted Eruku.

“Eruku is my village. This is not the first time bandits are attacking us,” the resident said. “The last time they came, they struck during a church live programme.”

According to the resident, the gunmen returned again in the early hours of Friday, firing sporadically and setting a vehicle ablaze during the raid.

“The bandits came very early in the morning and burned a vehicle. We are calling for help because this place is no longer safe,” the resident added.

However, a security source familiar with the incident told Afrika Eyes that local security operatives swiftly confronted the attackers and foiled what appeared to be a planned kidnapping operation.

“It was an attempted kidnapping which was repelled by security operatives,” the source said.

The source explained that a joint response involving local vigilantes and forest guards helped to prevent the attackers from carrying out their plan before they fled the area.

Communities across parts of Kwara State have in recent years experienced a growing wave of banditry, kidnappings and violent attacks, raising concerns among residents over the worsening security situation in rural areas.

Eruku community sits along the boundary between Kwara State and neighbouring Kogi State, an area residents say has increasingly become vulnerable to attacks by armed groups operating from nearby forests.

Residents explained that the community’s proximity to settlements in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State—where banditry and kidnapping have intensified—has made Eruku and neighbouring villages easy targets for criminal gangs.

“This is the boundary between Kogi and Kwara. The entire Yagba West axis is currently facing serious bandit attacks. People are being killed and abducted there, and now the attackers are also moving into our communities,” the source said.

Locals lamented that the repeated attacks have left many villagers living in constant fear, with some families already considering fleeing their homes if urgent security measures are not taken.

They called on the Kwara State Government and security agencies to urgently deploy more personnel and strengthen security presence in the border communities to prevent further attacks.

As of the time of filing this report, the exact number of people abducted in the latest attack could not be independently confirmed, while authorities in Kwara State had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.