Again, Bandits Attack Kwara, Abduct Four Farmers

Barely a day after gunmen stormed Eruku in Ekiti Local Government Area, another coordinated assault has struck Kwara State. 

Four rice farmers were seized on Wednesday evening in Bokungi, a small farming settlement in the Edu Local Government Area.

The attack occurred between 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., when the farmers were tending to their fields. 

According to locals, the assailants arrived suddenly and opened fire into the air, forcing the workers to flee in panic. 

Two farmers were first taken while packaging their produce, and minutes later, two others were abducted from a nearby plot.

A community elder in Bokungi, speaking with deep concern, said the speed and precision of the attackers rattled the village. 

“People are terrified. These kidnappers moved like they had studied the terrain. It’s becoming unbearable for us,” he told THISDAY in Ilorin.

Moreover, residents say the abductions have worsened an already fragile atmosphere in the Lafiagi–Bokungi belt, an area that has witnessed a series of recent incursions. 

Farmers now fear returning to their fields, a development that threatens food production in the region.

Another villager lamented: “We can’t sleep peacefully anymore, let alone work on our farms. The fear is real, and our lives have completely changed.”

Sources confirmed that the victims were marched into the bush, though the bandits have not yet contacted any family for ransom. The silence, residents say, is only heightening anxiety.

However, security agencies insist efforts are underway. A senior officer at the Edu Divisional Police Headquarters in Lafiagi, who requested anonymity, confirmed the incident and said rescue operations had begun. 

“We are working around the clock to locate the victims. The state command has already deployed additional personnel for reinforcement,” she stated.

She further urged locals to supply timely intelligence, stressing that community cooperation is crucial to tracking the criminals.

Furthermore, residents of Bokungi are appealing to both the Federal and Kwara State governments to strengthen security in the area. 

Community leaders say only sustained operations can halt the cycle of abductions and restore normalcy to local farming life.

As fear spreads across rural Kwara, the latest incident underscores a troubling pattern of organised attacks that continue to test the resolve of security agencies and the resilience of farming communities.