A suspected bandit attack on Lata Nna community in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State has left one person dead and several others injured.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, reportedly targeted farmers working on their farmlands. According to Kwara North-based media outlet NupekoTV-Lafiagi, the gunmen opened fire indiscriminately, causing casualties.
Residents said the victim, identified as a Nupe woman, had gone to the farm with other villagers when the attackers struck. She was reportedly killed during the assault, while several others sustained injuries.
Community members said local vigilantes responded swiftly and confronted the attackers in a gun battle. However, they arrived after the woman had already been killed.
”The attackers appeared unexpectedly and their weapons were clearly not locally made. By the time the vigilantes reached the scene, one woman had already lost her life,” a resident said.
Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson for the Kwara State Police Command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said she would verify the report and provide further details.
The latest attack adds to the growing wave of insecurity affecting parts of Kwara State, with communities in Edu, Patigi, Kaiama, Ifelodun and Irepodun Local Government Areas recording repeated cases of killings and kidnappings.
The incident comes only days after President Bola Tinubu approved the establishment of a Nigerian Army battalion in Omu Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area, as part of efforts to strengthen security and tackle violent crimes across the state.