By Veritas News Hub | Kwara State, Nigeria
YASHIKIRA, KWARA STATE Armed bandits attacked Yashikira town in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State early this morning around 12 to 1am, abducting four wives and several children of the Emir of Yashikira, Alhaji Umar Seriki, and setting his vehicles ablaze.
According to multiple local sources, the gunmen stormed the community in large numbers at dawn, shooting sporadically into the air to create panic and prevent resistance. The attackers went straight to the Emir’s palace, overpowered local security, and carried out the abductions before fleeing into nearby forests.
“As of this time of writing, the number of casualties is yet unknown,” a community source told Veritas News Hub. Residents said the shooting caused chaos, with many people fleeing into bushes and nearby compounds for safety. Some sustained injuries while escaping, but official figures have not been confirmed.
In addition to the kidnappings, the bandits burnt down several vehicles belonging to the Emir, including his official cars parked within the palace premises. The fire reportedly destroyed property worth millions of naira.
Eyewitnesses said the operation lasted over 30 minutes without immediate intervention from security forces. The Emir, Alhaji Umar Seriki, was said not to be at the palace during the attack.
“They came on motorcycles and went straight to the palace. They were shooting into the air and broke into the inner quarters where the Emir’s wives and children were,” a resident said. “They took four of the wives and some of the children, then set the cars on fire before leaving.”
The Kwara State Police Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have not released an official statement as of press time. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer for comment were unsuccessful.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents in Kwara North senatorial district, which shares borders with Niger and Kogi states. Communities in Baruten, Kaiama, and Patigi LGAs have reported repeated cases of kidnapping, cattle rustling, and attacks on villages in the last two years.
Security experts attribute the rise in banditry to the displacement of criminal gangs from the Northwest and North Central regions due to military operations. These groups have reportedly shifted operations toward Kwara’s porous borders, targeting soft spots and rural communities.
Traditional rulers have increasingly become targets. In 2024, the Olukoro of Koro in Ekiti LGA was killed in his palace by gunmen, while his wife was abducted. The pattern has raised alarm among traditional institutions across Kwara State.
Residents and youth leaders in Baruten LGA have called on the Kwara State Government and federal security agencies to launch an immediate operation to rescue the abducted victims and restore order in Yashikira.
“This is an attack on our traditional institution and on the dignity of our people,” said a youth leader in Yashikira. “If the palace can be invaded this way, then no one is safe. We need helicopters, troops, and intelligence on the ground now.”
The Kwara State Government has previously pledged to strengthen local vigilante networks and improve surveillance along border communities. However, residents say response times remain slow and security presence inadequate in many rural areas.
Kidnapping for ransom has become a common tactic among bandit groups operating in Nigeria’s North Central region. Security analysts say the abduction of family members of a first-class traditional ruler is likely aimed at extracting a large ransom and sending a message to other communities.
As of now, no group has claimed responsibility, and there has been no contact with the victims’ families. Security forces are expected to begin combing forests and border routes used by bandits to escape after such attacks.
Veritas News Hub will continue to monitor the situation and update this report as more details emerge from security agencies and local authorities.
This is a developing story. Information may change as the situation unfolds. Details are based on eyewitness accounts and local sources at the time of reporting.
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