Terrorists abduct 23 people in Kwara and attack Kebbi.

Set ablaze emir’s palace in Kwara

By Demola Akinyemi & Haruna Aliyu

Ilorin—Terrorists abducted 23 people in separate attacks in Kwara and Kebbi states.

In Kwara State, 10 people were taken during a coordinated assault that began in the early hours of yesterday. The attackers set fire to the palace of the Emir of Yashikira in Baruten Local Government Area and also targeted the nearby police divisional headquarters. Police officers on duty repelled the attack on the police station, but the palace was partially set ablaze and the 10 abductees were taken to an unknown location.

This incident follows, within 48 hours, the killing of three people and the abduction of 10 worshippers during a night vigil at a church in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.

In Kebbi State, terrorists abducted 13 residents of Tangaram village in the Wasagu District of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area during a midnight attack on the community.

According to locals in Kwara State, the 10 people abducted from the palace were four wives of the Emir, two children, and four palace aides who were trying to escape the fire.

State command spokesperson Adetoun Ejire‑Adeyemi confirmed the attack in a statement released yesterday:

“The armed criminals, in a coordinated and desperate assault about 0200hrs, simultaneously attacked the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Palace of the Emir of Yashikira. During the attack, part of the palace was set ablaze, while 10 people were abducted and taken to an unknown destination. However, the attack on the Police station was successfully repelled by police operatives on duty.”

13 residents kidnapped in Kebbi

Residents reported that the attackers stormed the village around 1 a.m. on Sunday, firing sporadically into the air before breaking into homes and taking victims toward the Zamfara border.

An eyewitness, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the incident as terrifying:

“They came on motorcycles and started shooting into the air. People ran in different directions, but they forced their way into houses and took away several residents,” the source said.

The witness added that Tangaram and surrounding communities have suffered repeated attacks because of their proximity to forest corridors linking Kebbi, Zamfara, and Niger states.

Recent attacks in Danko/Wasagu have reportedly resulted in mass abductions, with some victims allegedly released after ransom payments running into millions of Naira.

Confirming the incident, Kebbi State Police Command spokesperson Bashir Usman said the victims remain in captivity but clarified that preliminary investigations showed the abducted persons were adult males.

“The abducted persons are still in captivity following the attack on Tangaram village, Danko/Wasagu LGA. Preliminary findings, however, confirmed that all the victims are adult male residents of the village, contrary to reports being circulated,” the police spokesperson said.

He added that security operatives had intensified rescue operations across border communities:

“Police tactical teams, in collaboration with vigilante groups and other security agencies, have sustained coordinated rescue efforts along the border axis with Zamfara State with a view to ensuring the safe rescue of the victims and arrest of the perpetrators.”

The latest attack has renewed concerns over worsening insecurity in border communities across Kebbi State, where residents continue to face recurring raids, kidnappings, and cattle rustling by armed groups operating along the North‑West forest belt.

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