Suspected bandits killed one person and abducted two women during an attack on a Fulani settlement in Sodo/Sawmill, on the outskirts of Lafiagi in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State. The attack occurred on Monday night at about 8 pm when armed men stormed the community, shooting sporadically and causing panic. The gunmen targeted the residence of the Ardo, a prominent Fulani leader, but failed to capture him. Instead, they abducted two women, aged 25 and 35, believed to be his wives, before fleeing the area.
Security forces responded after receiving distress calls, with troops engaging the attackers and forcing them to retreat into a nearby forest. Kwara State Police Commissioner Adekimi Ojo confirmed the incident on Tuesday, stating that one man was killed and two women taken. He said preliminary investigations indicated the attackers were after the Ardo but could not locate him. "Yes, one man was killed while two women, 25 and 35 years of age, who are wives of the Seriki Fulani, were abducted," Ojo said.
The police commissioner added that operatives were still on the trail of the attackers, who escaped into the forest after the military repelled them. The attack has intensified fear among residents in Edu and neighbouring local government areas, where insecurity linked to criminal groups in the Kwara North axis has been a recurring issue. Communities in the region have previously called for increased security presence to counter the threat of banditry and armed attacks.
The Ardo was the target but escaped, while his two wives were taken and a resident killed — exposing the selective reach of security forces even when military response follows an attack. The women, aged 25 and 35, remain in captivity hours after the incident, with no confirmation of their recovery. Security operatives repelled the attackers but could not prevent the abductions, raising questions about response timing and deployment in rural Kwara.
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