Bandits unleashed terror on Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday, killing a pregnant woman and abducting at least eight villagers.
Residents said the attackers stormed Motokun and Egboro communities on motorcycles, shooting sporadically and forcing villagers to flee.
They added that the gunmen operated freely for hours without immediate security intervention.
A vigilante commander, Gina Gana, linked the assault to a confrontation between troops and the bandits the previous day.
According to him, dozens of cattle were rustled, and at least four gunmen sustained injuries in that clash.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as horrifying. Armed bandits in large numbers moved from house to house, firing at will.
A local resident, Hon. James Ibrahim, said:
“We woke up to chaos. People fled Motokun after kidnappers invaded. One woman later died at Patigi General Hospital.
Eight people were taken, several others injured, and 15 motorcycles stolen.”
Another leader, Mallam Mohammed, revealed that the attackers also invaded Fanagun village in Tsaragi Emirate, where three Fulani men and their cattle were abducted.
He said the group targeted wealthy villagers for ransom.
Tragically, a cleric who often visited Motokun to preach was shot dead and mutilated.
The attack reportedly lasted between 6 and 7 a.m.
Residents lamented that attacks in Patigi have become a weekly nightmare. Villages such as Lata, Ndanaku, Takarfu, Motokun, Egboro, and Lele remain under constant threat.
While vigilantes and soldiers attempt to respond, locals complain that the bandits often strike before help arrives.
Many families have now turned to prayers, urging the government for urgent reinforcements.
Confirming the attack, Hon. Ahmed Rufai Adam, Chairman of Patigi Local Government, said he was in a crucial security meeting over the matter.
The attack adds to rising insecurity in Kwara and neighboring states.
Similar raids in Zamfara and Kogi in recent weeks underline the spreading menace of banditry across northern Nigeria.
For residents of Patigi, life has turned into a cycle of fear, displacement, and grief.
Many now call on both the federal and state governments to act before the crisis spirals further out of control.
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