Couple Abducted in Kwara as Bandits Strike Twice in One Week

Couple Abducted in Kwara as Bandits Strike Twice in One Week

Lafiagi, Kwara State – Barely 48 hours after armed bandits killed one person and kidnapped two women in a Fulani settlement, suspected gunmen again struck in Lafiagi, headquarters of Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting a husband and wife in a midnight raid.

The latest incident occurred around 12 a.m. on Thursday, near the Provost Lodge area, where the armed men invaded a residence and took the couple to an unknown location, multiple community sources told reporters. A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons confirmed the abduction, saying the victims are Fulani and well known in the area. “The gunmen came around 12 a.m. and abducted a Fulani man and his wife from their residence near the Provost Lodge. They took them away, and nobody knows where they have been taken. The victim is related to Wudere, the Fulani leader the attackers were looking for during the last attack. Many people believe the incidents may be connected,” the source said.

The Thursday abduction is directly linked to an earlier assault on Monday, June 1, 2026, in the Sodo/Sawmill area on the outskirts of Lafiagi. At about 8 p.m., a group of armed bandits stormed a Fulani settlement, firing sporadically and sending residents fleeing into nearby bushes. During that attack, one male resident was shot and killed, while two women, aged 25 and 35, who are wives of the Seriki Fulani (Fulani community leader), were abducted. The gunmen specifically sought a Fulani leader known as Ardo (Wudere) but could not find him, and soldiers later repelled the attackers before police arrived, forcing them to retreat into the forest.

Confirming the Monday incident, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said, “Yes, one man was killed while two women, 25 and 35 years of age, who are wives of the Seriki Fulani, were abducted. The attackers targeted the Fulani leader, Ardo. And for now, we are still on their trail because before we got there, the military had repelled them, and they ran into the forest, but we are on their trail.” As of Friday morning, the two women abducted on Monday remain missing.

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Security analysts believe the Thursday abduction of the Fulani couple is a continuation of the same operation by the same gang. The male victim is reportedly a relative of Wudere – the very Fulani leader the bandits failed to capture on Monday. By abducting his relative and the relative’s wife, the gunmen may be trying to pressure the community or force the leader to surface. No group has claimed responsibility, and police have not confirmed any arrests.

While Kwara battles fresh abductions, troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army (under the 2 Division) recorded a major breakthrough in neighboring Kogi State. On June 3, 2026, terrorists attacked a residence near Solid Rock School in Ijalu, Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, kidnapping five members of a family, including a mother and her infant child. Upon receiving a distress call, troops mobilized immediately and worked alongside members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) to pursue the terrorists along their withdrawal route. The sustained pressure forced the kidnappers to abandon Mrs. Adekemi Idowu and her six‑month‑old baby near the Oro axis before fleeing into surrounding vegetation.

The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, confirmed the rescue in a statement on Thursday: “Upon receiving the distress report, troops immediately mobilised in conjunction with members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN), launching a pursuit operation along the terrorists’ withdrawal route. The sustained pressure mounted by the security team forced the terrorists to abandon Mrs Adekemi Idowu and her six‑month‑old child near the Oro axis before fleeing into the surrounding area. The rescued victims were safely returned to their residence, while troops have continued aggressive search operations aimed at rescuing the remaining victims and apprehending the perpetrators.” Efforts are ongoing to locate the other three family members still in captivity.

The rescue of the mother and baby follows two other successful operations by the 12 Brigade within the same week. On June 1, 2026, troops freed 23 kidnapped passengers along the Ayegunle–Bunu Road in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area. Earlier, on May 30, 2026, soldiers foiled a planned kidnapping operation and neutralized one suspected terrorist during an ambush in Lokoja Local Government Area.

The back‑to‑back incidents in Kwara and Kogi highlight persistent security challenges in Nigeria’s North‑Central region, where banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and farmer‑herder clashes have escalated in recent months. Residents of Lafiagi have called for increased military patrols and intelligence gathering to track the bandits believed to be hiding in forests bordering Kwara, Niger, and Kogi states. The Kwara State Police Command has assured citizens that operatives are on the trail of the abductors, but no timeline has been given for the rescue of the abducted couple or the two women taken on Monday.

Couple Abducted in Kwara as Bandits Strike Twice in One Week