Suspected bandits on Friday evening reportedly stormed Adanla community, a suburb of Igbaja in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting several residents and throwing the area into panic.
Residents said the attack occurred around 7pm on Friday, December 26, 2025, disrupting the calm of the agrarian community as gunmen allegedly moved from house to house.
A community leader in Igbaja and Coordinator of the Kwara South Joint Community Security Watch Network, Elder Olaitan Oyin-Zubair, confirmed the incident.
According to him, the attackers arrived in large numbers and fired sporadically to intimidate residents into submission.
“At about 7:30pm, we received a report from Adanla-Irese, a suburb of Igbaja, that bandits had entered the community,” Oyin-Zubair said.
“We immediately swung into action by mobilising hunters and vigilantes from Igbaja to the area. We also alerted the Brigade Commander of the 22 Armoured Brigade, who directed his men around the axis to respond swiftly,” he added.
He explained that soldiers later arrived at the scene in two operational vehicles to reinforce local security operatives.
“Unfortunately, before their arrival, the bandits had already abducted eight persons and wounded a woman. They were shooting indiscriminately to scare the locals,” he said.
Residents said that several people sustained injuries while fleeing the attack, while many families escaped into nearby bushes and neighbouring communities for safety.
As of Saturday morning, efforts to obtain official confirmation from the police were still ongoing.
However, when contacted, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said she had yet to receive a comprehensive briefing on the incident.
“I am yet to be properly briefed about the incident. I got the information last night too, but as soon as I have details, I will get back to you,” she said.