Terror gripped Babanla community in Kwara State on Saturday as more than 200 armed bandits stormed the town in a coordinated night attack, killing five people, including a police officer, and leaving residents in shock.
The heavily armed assailants, who arrived on motorcycles, first targeted the Divisional Police Headquarters, where they gunned down Officer Adejumo Wasiu in a direct assault on security operatives.
They then advanced to the community market, firing sporadically and robbing traders, forcing residents to flee for safety.
According to the Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the rampaging gunmen struck at about 9 p.m., unleashing gunfire that claimed five lives before security forces repelled them.
“The assailants fired indiscriminately, killing five people, including Officer Adejumo Wasiu,” Ejire-Adeyemi said in a statement on Sunday. “A combined team of police officers, Nigerian Army troops, vigilantes, and local hunters engaged the attackers and successfully restored order.”
Following the attack, Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo and the State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) visited the community for an on-the-spot assessment.
The security chiefs met with the traditional ruler, Oba Yusuf Aliyu Alabi, to strategise on strengthening peace and security cooperation.
CP Ojo has ordered sustained armed patrols, intensified intelligence gathering, and deployment of specialised tracking units to hunt down the fleeing assailants.
The DSS has also pledged continuous intelligence support for the operation.
“The command, in synergy with sister agencies, remains fully committed to safeguarding lives and property across the state,” the police spokesperson assured.
Saturday’s onslaught comes barely 24 hours after another armed attack was reported in the region, deepening public anxiety over the surge in violent crimes in parts of Kwara.
Authorities have urged residents to remain calm but vigilant, and to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.
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