Suspected bandits have attacked the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the palace of the Emir of Yashikira in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting no fewer than 10 residents during the coordinated assault.
The attack, which reportedly occurred around 2am on Sunday, also left parts of the Emir’s palace destroyed by fire.
Confirming the incident in a statement issued on Sunday, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the gunmen launched simultaneous attacks on the police facility and the royal residence.
According to the statement, policemen on duty at the divisional headquarters resisted the attackers and successfully repelled the assault on the station.
The police, however, disclosed that the assailants abducted 10 persons from the community before fleeing the area.
Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ojo Adekimi, ordered an intensified security operation involving police operatives, other security agencies, local vigilantes and forest guards to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
The command quoted the police commissioner as assuring residents that security operatives were determined to flush out criminal elements terrorising the area.
“These criminals have declared war against peace-loving citizens, and we are fully prepared to hunt them down relentlessly,” the CP stated.
The latest attack has heightened concerns over insecurity in parts of Kwara North, where communities have witnessed recurring attacks by armed groups in recent months.