Over 25 Killed In Five Months As Bandits Ravage Kwara Communities
At least 25 people, including a traditional ruler, police officers, vigilantes and civilians, have been killed in a spate of bandit attacks across Kwara State in the last five months.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the attacks left behind a trail of bloodshed, fear and mass displacement in the rural communities.
The latest tragedy struck on September 28, 2025, in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area, where armed men stormed the Ogbayo area around 7 a.m., opening fire on members of the local vigilante.
By the time security operatives arrived, 12 vigilantes, including the village head of Ogbayo, were killed, while several others sustained bullet wounds.
Just weeks earlier, on August 11, 2025, Babanla town and its surrounding communities in the same local government were thrown into mourning after bandits believed to number over 200 invaded the area on motorcycles.
In a coordinated raid that lasted nearly two hours, the attackers stormed the Divisional Police Headquarters, looted shops in the market, abducted residents, and killed five people, including a police officer identified as Adejumo Wasiu.
The scale of the Babanla attack triggered a mass exodus, with over 3,000 residents fleeing their homes for fear of further violence. Community leaders described the once-bustling settlement as a “ghost town.”
According to the Eesinkin of Babanla, Ismaila Olamilekan Salami, “More than 15 surrounding villages like Eka I, Eka II, and Babasango have been deserted. The bandits were nearly 300, looting food, drugs, and drinks from our market.”
Before these major raids, on July 19, 2025, bandits ambushed vigilantes in Edogi village, Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area. Two people, including a vigilante commander, were killed, while several others sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital for treatment.
The bandit menace had earlier reared its head on April 14, 2025, when armed men disguised in military uniforms stormed the Ilesha Baruba Motor Park in Baruten Local Government Area, killing six civilians. They also carried out raids near the Kainji National Park, believed to be a stronghold for a faction of Boko Haram known as the Mahmuda group.
Though security forces later captured the group’s leader, Abubakar Abba Mahmuda, residents say remnants of his fighters continue to terrorise rural communities.
Experts point to the state’s vast forest reserves as providing a safe haven for the armed groups. A former DSS director, Dr Abdulsalam Suleiman, urged government to reclaim and convert the forests into productive use, warning that as long as the criminals operate unchecked, rural residents will remain under siege.
Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has repeatedly assured residents of government’s commitment to restoring peace, even as the state collaborates with the Nigerian Army, DSS, and local vigilantes. Fighter jets have been deployed for surveillance in affected areas, but locals say the relief is temporary.
For now, many communities in Ifelodun, Edu, and Baruten LGAs remain tense, with deserted farmlands, abandoned markets, and families torn apart by kidnappings.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
