The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed a violent midnight attack on the Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area. Suspected armed bandits invaded the area, setting a portion of the Emir’s palace ablaze and abducting 10 people.
Among those taken during the raid were the wives and children of the traditional ruler, Alhaji Umar Seriki. The Command described the incident as a highly coordinated and desperate operation targeting local leadership and security structures.
According to authorities, the attackers struck at approximately 2:00 a.m. on Monday, launching a simultaneous assault on both the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir’s palace. The strategic timing was intended to overwhelm the community’s defense systems.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the command formally condemned the “cowardly and audacious attack.” While the assault on the palace resulted in abductions, security operatives on duty successfully repelled the parallel raid on the police station.
The police statement noted that during the invasion, a section of the palace complex was intentionally set on fire before the ten victims were whisked away to an unknown destination. The swift response from the officers at the division prevented further damage to the station.
Following the tragic incident, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, ordered an immediate, full-scale tactical operation. The security sweep combines the efforts of the military, police, forest guards, vigilantes, and other local stakeholders.
The joint security forces have been mandated to comb the surrounding terrain to rescue the victims and track down the fleeing attackers. The command emphasized that it is utilizing every operational asset and strategy at its disposal to dismantle the criminal network.
“We will deploy everything within our operational capacity to smoke them out of hiding, dismantle their networks, rescue all abducted victims, and ensure they face the full wrath of the law,” the police statement read.
However, accounts from local residents indicate that the terror began slightly earlier, with the attackers storming the community between 12:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. Witnesses reported that the bandits fired sporadically into the air to terrorize the populace before advancing on the palace quarters.
A resident speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed that three wives and four children of the traditional ruler were among the captives. Another witness, Tukur Ahmed, added that the bandits arrived on motorcycles, bypassed the main streets, and broke directly into the inner residential quarters of the palace.
