Suspected terrorists on Wednesday night stormed Ahun community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting a woman and her two children during the attack.
Residents said the assailants invaded the community at night, firing gunshots into the air and forcing many villagers to flee their homes.
An artisan in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said local vigilantes confronted the attackers and prevented the situation from worsening.
“We thank God our vigilantes stood firm. If not for their courage, the bandits would have caused more destruction in the community,” the resident said.
Sources in the community disclosed that the abducted woman is married to the son of the driver of the traditional ruler of Oro-Ago, popularly known as Baba Segun.
During the attack, the kidnappers were also said to have injured the victim’s mother-in-law, identified as Mama Segun, while escaping from the area.
Eyewitnesses told journalists in Ilorin on Thursday that the attackers arrived at about 9pm and fired sporadically to create panic among residents.
The raid reportedly lasted about 40 minutes, raising fears among villagers and prompting some residents to consider leaving the community the following day for safety.
However, a member of the local vigilante group said the traditional ruler of Oro-Ago urged residents not to abandon their homes despite the attack.
According to the vigilante member, the monarch questioned who he would govern if everyone deserted the town and subsequently directed security personnel in the area to prevent vehicles from leaving Ahun and Oro-Ago.
A relative of the traditional ruler’s driver, who lives in Ilorin, commended the vigilance group for their swift response to the incident.
“My family in Ahun called me around 9pm that the community was under attack. The first thing I asked about was the safety of my aged mother who lives in the village,” he said.
Meanwhile, operatives of the Department of State Services in Ifelodun Local Government Area on Thursday invited members of the local vigilante group and other community stakeholders to a meeting over the incident.
The outcome of the meeting had yet to be made public as of the time of filing this report.