Suspected armed bandits have killed one person and kidnapped two women during an attack on a Fulani settlement in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The assault reportedly took place on Monday night in the Sodo/Sawmill axis on the outskirts of the community.
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Eyewitnesses said the attackers invaded the settlement around 8 pm, firing shots indiscriminately and throwing residents into panic.
Sources within the area said the gunmen were initially believed to be searching for a prominent Fulani leader in the community but were unable to find him.
After failing to locate their target, the attackers seized two women identified as wives of the Fulani leader before escaping into nearby bushes.
One resident was also shot dead during the raid.
Security operatives were said to have responded swiftly after receiving distress alerts, with military personnel engaging the attackers and forcing them to retreat into a surrounding forest.
Confirming the incident on Tuesday, the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said one person was killed while two women were abducted.
He stated, “Yes, one man was killed while two women, aged 25 and 35, who are wives of the Seriki Fulani, were taken away.”
Ojo further explained that preliminary investigations suggested the attackers were targeting the Fulani leader, also known as an Ardo, but he managed to escape capture.
“The attackers were after the Fulani leader, Ardo. We are currently on their trail. By the time security forces arrived, the military had already repelled them, but we are pursuing them into the forest,” he added.
The incident has heightened anxiety among residents of Edu and nearby communities, where there have been repeated calls for stronger security presence to curb rising attacks in the Kwara North axis.
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