Gunmen kidnapped at least 10 people and set fire to the home of a community leader in “coordinated” attacks in Kwara state, Northcentral Nigeria police said on Monday.
Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said “bandits” had “simultaneously” attacked the palace of the Emir of Yashikira community and a police station in the town at around 2:00am on Monday. “During the attack, part of the palace was set ablaze, while 10 people were abducted and taken to an unknown destination,” Ejire-Adeyemi said.
Armed gangs, popularly called bandits are blamed for raiding remote villages, looting and razing homes and kidnapping people for ransom, especially in parts of northwestern and central Nigeria.
Ejire-Adeyemi said the attack on the police station was repelled, and a combined team of security agencies was searching “the surrounding forests and criminal hideouts” to rescue the victims.
Kwara has witnessed an increase in violent attacks in several rural communities in recent months, some of them blamed on jihadist groups.
CliqMetro reports that Yashikira is about 190 kilometres from the state capital, Ilorin.