Two people have been seized by armed men who raided Manba Village in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, heightening anxiety across several rural communities already grappling with rising insecurity.
Residents reported that the attackers slipped into the area late Friday night through the Rogun route before unleashing gunfire that sent families scrambling into nearby bushes.
The chaos, according to locals, lasted several minutes as the gunmen moved unhindered.
A villager who witnessed the incident described the attack as “a frightening assault carried out with absolute confidence”.
He added that the armed group “moved straight into the heart of Manba and fled with two residents before anyone could react”.
The identities of the abducted individuals were still unclear at the time of this report.
Security agencies had also not released any official comment on the incident, leaving many in the region anxious about what may follow.
The kidnapping comes barely days after residents of Lile, another community in Patigi, raised an alarm over the sighting of a convoy of suspected terrorists moving across the area.
Local sources had confirmed that more than 40 motorcycles, each carrying multiple armed men, were seen advancing toward the community earlier in the week.
One resident recounted how the alert reached Lile: “We were called by a neighbouring settlement that spotted them first.
“They said the group was riding in a long convoy, all heavily armed, and heading in our direction.”
Although the armed men reportedly bypassed the neighbouring village without confrontation, their swift movement toward Lile intensified fears that the region may be facing coordinated incursions.
Their current whereabouts remain unknown, deepening concerns among locals who say security presence in the area is still inadequate.
A youth leader in Patigi explained that communities now live in constant suspense. “People are worried because no one knows where these men are camped or where they will strike next,” he said.
Moreover, the latest abduction underscores the sustained threat rural settlements in Kwara face from armed groups who exploit the vast forest corridors linking communities across the state.
Furthermore, residents are urging authorities to deploy more personnel and surveillance to halt the growing wave of incursions.
The situation continues to evolve, but the mood across Patigi is one of fear and uncertainty—a reflection of a region increasingly caught in the crosshairs of violent bandit operations.