Bandits Strike Kwara Settlement Kill One, Rustle Hundreds of Cattle

 

 

Bandits Strike Kwara Settlement, Kill One, Rustle Hundreds of Cattle

 

Fresh concerns over rural security were raised on Wednesday after armed bandits attacked a Fulani settlement in Bokungi, near Tsaragi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing one person and carting away hundreds of cattle.

 

Eyewitnesses said the attackers, numbering several and armed with sophisticated weapons, stormed the community around midnight. They reportedly fired sporadically to disperse villagers before targeting the homesteads of two prominent herders, Alhaji Garuba and Alhaji Mumini.

 

During the raid, Mumini’s eldest son, Muhammadu — a newly-wed — was killed. Unable to force their way into Garuba’s residence, the bandits proceeded to drive away his cattle. Witnesses estimated that nearly 700 cows were stolen.

 

An eyewitness who spoke with Patriotic  Insight disclosed: “The gunmen came through Bokungi and headed straight to the settlement. They shot into the air to scare everyone. People ran for safety, but they still took away hundreds of cows.”

 

Security operatives and vigilante groups mobilised swiftly after the attackers advanced towards Fengewa, leading to a brief exchange of gunfire. However, as of Thursday morning, it remained unclear whether any arrests were made or the stolen livestock recovered.

 

The attack has heightened fears across Edu Local Government and neighbouring areas. Residents lamented the growing wave of insecurity, urging both state and federal authorities to act decisively.

 

This latest incident comes on the heels of other violent attacks in Kwara, including the abduction of the wife and daughter of an All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in Patigi and an attempt to kidnap the Onishagbe of Shagbe in Ifelodun Local Government.

 

Community leaders are calling on the Kwara State Government and the military to prioritise rural protection, stressing that unchecked banditry could destabilise livelihoods and erode public confidence in the authorities.