Kwara residents were thrown into unease when armed bandits stormed two communities in the Edu and Patigi Local Government Areas of the state, kidnapping several residents while leaving some injured.

On Saturday, armed gunmen attacked a vigilantes/community guards’ checkpoint along the Gamji Road in Gbugbu, Edu LGA, at about 6:15 p.m., leaving one officer injured.

Witnesses said soldiers were seen rushing to the scene shortly after the incident.

Suspected bandits also reportedly invaded the Kakafu community in the local government area in the early hours of Sunday, kidnapping at least four residents.

Reports indicated that the incident occurred at about 1:30 a.m., when the attackers invaded the community and started shooting sporadically.

A resident, who anonymously spoke to Peoples Gazette on Sunday, said the assailants came in the middle of the night and started shooting sporadically.

“I am sure four people were kidnapped. Armed gunmen stormed the community in the middle of the night and created tension as sounds of gunfire went for over two to three hours,” the resident stated.

A forest guard, who also pleaded anonymity, said they immediately mobilised to the community and combed the surrounding bush paths but could not trace the attackers or the victims.

The guard, however, stated that information revealed that one male and three females were kidnapped in the attack.

Contacted for comment, Kwara police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said the command had yet to receive official information on the latest incident, promising get back with details after confirmation.

“I am not aware of the incident at the moment,” Ms Ejire-Adeyemi stated. “Please, I will get back to you as soon as I obtain the necessary details.”

Terrorists have intensified attacks on several Kwara communities in recent times, raising significant concerns about the safety of lives and property in the state.

Days ago, gunmen invaded the Woro and Nuku communities in Kaiama Local Government Area, killing over 200 residents while kidnapping several others. The attackers also paraded the kidnap victims, accusing Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of lying about the scale of the attacks.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu insisted his administration is determined to crush killings and kidnappings across the country.