Suspected terrorists on Wednesday evening launched a violent attack on Oro-Ago community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing a vigilante commander and critically injuring the town’s chief security officer, locally known as the Olu-òde, ENigeria Newspaper has learnt.
Sources as exclusively gathered by Sahara Reporters, said that the assailants, believed to be kidnappers, reportedly stormed the community in large numbers and attempted to overrun a police station before engaging local security operatives. During the confrontation, the vigilante leader was shot dead, while the Olu-òde, identified as Odeyemi, sustained gunshot wounds.
Residents said the attackers operated in the area for over an hour, creating panic as gunfire forced many people to flee their homes or seek shelter indoors.
“They wanted to invade the Oro-Ago police station… they killed the commander of the vigilante and shot the local chief security officer,” a source familiar with the incident said.
As of press time, there was no official response from security agencies, and it remained unclear whether reinforcements had been deployed to contain the situation.
The latest attack comes amid growing security concerns in Kwara South, particularly in Ifelodun and neighbouring local government areas, where cases of kidnapping and armed violence have increased in recent months.
Recall that only two days ago, ENigeria Newspaper reported that kidnappers stormed an Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) church in Omugo community, via Oro-Ago, on Sunday morning, abducting between eight and nine worshippers and throwing the area into panic. Sources have confirmed that the abductors contacted the community on Wednesday, insisting that the victims would only be released upon payment of the N1 billion ransom.
According to the source, an initial offer of N1 million by the community was rejected, with the kidnappers demanding that all communities within the Oro-Ago axis contribute to raising the amount.
Authorities had earlier placed security formations on alert following intelligence reports of planned coordinated attacks across the region.
Community leaders had warned residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies, noting that suspected bandits were targeting multiple locations within the district.
