Gunmen attack Kwara villages, kill 4 members of local vigilance group

FOUR members of local vigilance group in the Kaiama local government area of Kwara state were on Wednesday reportedly killed while several others were injured by suspected gunmen who attacked some villages in the area.

The villages attacked by the gunmen include Tunga Maje, Nukku and Woro among others.

Speaking with journalists, the local government Chairman of the council, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, said that the gunmen had mounted a camp in the National Park to move from one community to another to terrorize residents of the area.

The National Park covers about 50 kilometres of land between Kaiama local council in Kwara and Borgu local government area of Niger state.

Abubakar said that the hoodlums had gone round the villages robbing the residents of their belongings particularly foodstuff, cows and goats before returning to their camp to survive on it.

According to him, when the complaint of the attack was becoming too much, the council decided to deploy its members of the local vigilante to place surveillance on the place.

“Unfortunately, when the vigilante approached them in their camp, they exchanged fire to the extent that they killed one of the vigilante men and three others are missing.

“We don’t know their whereabouts and for now and nobody can go into the bush and start searching for the dead body”, he said.

The council boss stated that the armed hoodlums were fond of blocking the roads at night to dispossess people for their money.

“One of our vigilante men is confirmed dead. While three others are missing, several other vigilante men were injured”, he said.

He, however, noted that the state government had taken charge of the situation, saying that about 50 soldiers have been deployed from the 222 battalions to comb the bush.

DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, The Public Relations Officer of the Kwara Police Command confirmed the development.

He said that the state command had deployed mobile policemen into the area and the Commissioner of Police had ordered an investigation into the issue.

He also confirmed the death of a member of the local vigilante group and three others missing.