Terror returned to Kwara State on Sunday night as armed bandits invaded Mawogi village in Patigi Local Government Area, killing the community’s youth leader and injuring his mother in a brutal late-night attack.
Residents told reporters that the heavily armed assailants stormed the quiet community around 11 p.m., firing gunshots wildly and forcing villagers to flee into the dark for safety.
The slain youth leader, identified as Yanma Ndawodi, was reportedly gunned down in front of his home, while his mother, Gogo Fatima, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently battling for her life at a nearby hospital.
Witnesses said the attackers also abducted five residents during the raid. Three of the victims later managed to escape, but two others; identified as Ndagi Kudu and Hawau remain in captivity as of the time of filing this report.
A resident who spoke under condition of anonymity described the attack as “terrifying,” calling on the Kwara State Government and security agencies to urgently strengthen patrols in Patigi and surrounding communities.
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“We can’t sleep anymore. These people come in the night and disappear into the bush before help arrives,” the resident lamented.
The latest incident adds to the growing wave of insecurity across rural Kwara.
Just last Thursday, gunmen invaded Idofin Odo-Ase in Oke Ero Local Government Area, killing at least three residents and leaving several others injured.
Similarly, Efagi village under the Lafiagi Emirate in Edu Local Government Area came under siege last Friday when bandits abducted a man and his wife while injuring a local vigilante during a 1 a.m. attack.
The repeated assaults have raised fresh concerns over the safety of farming and riverine communities in the state, with residents urging authorities to act swiftly before the situation spirals further out of control.
Security operatives are yet to issue an official statement on the Mawogi attack at the time of this report.
