Gunmen have abducted 10 people from the palace of the Emir of Yashikira in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State following a coordinated attack that also targeted a police station in the community.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday when armed assailants simultaneously attacked the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the palace of the Emir.
Confirming the attack, Police Public Relations Officer Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said part of the palace was set ablaze during the operation, while the attackers escaped with 10 abducted victims.
“The armed criminals, in a coordinated and desperate assault at about 2 p.m., simultaneously attacked the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the palace of the Emir of Yashikira,” the statement said.
“During the attack, part of the palace was set ablaze, while 10 persons were abducted and taken to an unknown destination. However, the attack on the police station was successfully repelled by police operatives on duty.”
Following the incident, Commissioner of Police Ojo Adekimi ordered an intelligence-led security operation involving the police, military, forest guards, vigilantes and other security agencies.
The operation is focused on combing nearby forests and suspected criminal hideouts to rescue the abducted victims and arrest those responsible for the attack.
Adekimi assured residents that the command would intensify efforts to combat criminal activities across the state.
“These criminals have declared war against peace-loving citizens, and we are fully prepared to hunt them down relentlessly. We will deploy everything within our operational capacity to smoke them out of hiding, dismantle their networks, rescue all abducted victims and ensure they face the full wrath of the law,” he said.
The police also assured residents of Yashikira and surrounding communities in Kaiama Local Government Area that surveillance, intelligence gathering and bush-combing operations had been strengthened in vulnerable areas.
The latest attack comes only days after suspected terrorists stormed a church during a Saturday night vigil at Ori-Oke Ajaiye on the outskirts of Ikiran village in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The attackers reportedly killed three worshippers and abducted 15 others during the church assault, heightening security concerns across parts of the state.
