Breaking News: 12 Vigilantes, Village Head Killed as Bandits Attack Oke-Ode Community in Kwara
The Kwara State Police Command has confirmed the death of at least 12 persons, including the Baale of Ogbayo, during a deadly bandits’ attack on Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Sunday morning.
The incident, which occurred around 7 a.m., saw heavily armed men storm the Ogbayo area of the town, shooting sporadically and targeting members of the local vigilante group.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement, said a combined team of police operatives and personnel of the National Forest Security Service (NFSS) responded swiftly to distress calls but arrived to find 12 vigilantes already lifeless, among them the traditional ruler.
“Four injured victims were immediately rushed to hospital, while the bodies of the deceased were evacuated,” Ejire-Adeyemi disclosed, adding that security agencies had intensified a manhunt to track down the perpetrators.
The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, described the killings as “heinous” and pledged the command’s determination to bring the attackers to justice while commiserating with the bereaved families.
Sunday’s attack adds to a rising wave of violent raids in parts of Kwara, especially in the North and South, where communities, vigilantes, and local business owners have increasingly become prime targets of bandit operations.
Residents say the Oke-Ode community remains in shock, with several families grieving their loved ones and others searching for relatives feared kidnapped during the invasion.