Bandits have attacked Isapa community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting 11 residents in a fresh wave of violence.
The gunmen, reportedly more than 20 in number, stormed the community on Monday with a large herd of cattle and began firing sporadically. An elderly woman was said to have been struck by a stray bullet.
A community leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that 11 people were kidnapped, seven of them from the same family. The victims include a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and multiple young children.
The abducted individuals have been identified as:
Talatu Kabiru (20)
Magaji (6)
Kande (5)
Hadiza (10)
Mariam (6)
Saima (5)
Habibat (adult, housewife)
Fatima Yusufu (pregnant)
Sarah Sunday (22)
Lami Fidelis (23, nursing mother)
Haja Na Allah (nursing mother)
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers moved through parts of the town, leaving bullet holes in walls and doors. Expended AK-47 shells were recovered after the gunmen fled. Police authorities have yet to release an official statement on the incident.
The attack comes barely two weeks after gunmen invaded the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku, also in the same LGA, abducting 38 worshippers and killing several others. The abducted church members were later released.
Sources said the Eruku attackers opened fire immediately after storming the church during a meeting, killing at least three people and seizing several others, including the pastor. They reportedly escaped through bush paths linking Eruku to neighbouring communities, leaving residents frightened and unsettled.