Full Breakdown
Coordinated Nighttime Attacks in Kwara State Leave 25 Abducted
5/26/2026, 6:26:25 AM
Coordinated Nighttime Attacks in Kwara State
On May 25, gunmen carried out two assaults in Kwara State, Nigeria. At about 02:00 GMT they struck the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir’s palace in Baruten Local Government Area, setting part of the palace on fire and abducting ten residents. Later, around 20:30 GMT, the groups opened fire on worshippers at a night prayer vigil in Ori-Oke Ajaiye, Ekiti Local Government Area, killing three and kidnapping fifteen. Police confirmed a total of twenty-five people were taken.
Bandit Activity and Recent School Kidnappings
Kwara has seen a spillover of attacks by armed groups described locally as “bandits,” who operate across forested border zones and specialize in ransom kidnappings. The Yashikira raid follows a wave of school kidnappings in Oyo State, where teachers and pupils were seized, raising national alarm about the spread of such incidents along Nigeria’s north-western frontier.
Key Actors
Key actors include Police Commissioner Ojo Adekimi, who ordered the response; Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi; the Emir of Yashikira, whose palace was targeted; a local pastor who reported the prayer-vigil attack; and security forces comprising the military, forest guards, special forces, drone units, specialised mobile force personnel and local vigilantes.
Timeline and Security Response
The attacks began at 02:00 GMT when gunmen assaulted the Yashikira police station and palace, abducting ten people. At 20:30 GMT they struck a prayer gathering in Ekiti, killing three and kidnapping fifteen. Security forces launched a joint operation with the military, forest guards, special forces, drones and vigilantes, intensifying surveillance, intelligence gathering and bush-combing across Baruten.
Casualties and Damage
- Abducted: 10 (Yashikira) + 15 (Ekiti) = 25
- Killed: 3 (Ekiti prayer gathering)
- Property: Sections of the Emir’s palace burned.
Official Statements
Commissioner Ojo Adekimi announced a large-scale tactical operation to rescue the abducted victims and arrest the perpetrators. SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi confirmed the early-morning strike and said surveillance, intelligence gathering and bush-combing operations have been intensified across Baruten. The command highlighted the use of drones, specialised mobile force personnel and coordinated action with the military and local vigilantes.
Impact, Concerns and Next Steps
Local officials and residents expressed heightened fear for border towns and traditional institutions, noting that the attacks followed the recent Oyo school kidnapping and underscoring doubts about security agencies’ capacity to protect vulnerable populations in forest-border zones. The whereabouts of the twenty-five abductees remain unknown and no arrests have been reported, prompting continued joint operations to locate the victims, dismantle hideouts and deter further incursions.
