By Yunusa Umar
Tragedy struck again in Kwara State as gunmen, locally known as bandits, invaded Rani, a suburb village of Lade under the Patigi local area, abducting the village head, Alhaji Ndako, and killing his brother, Alhaji Liman.
The attack occurred on Sunday evening, while most villagers were observing the Maghrib prayers inside the mosque, sending shockwaves through the quiet rural community.
A community source, who identified himself only as Idris, told New Daily Prime that the armed men stormed the village around prayer time, shooting indiscriminately into the air before whisking the village head away.
“It was during Maghrib time when the villagers were inside the mosque. They kidnapped Alhaji Ndako, the district head, and killed his brother,” Idris said.
“The attackers came shooting sporadically into the air and the village head was taken into the bush,” he added.
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According to witnesses, the bandits arrived on motorcycles and fled the area through Lade town after the assault. The entire operation reportedly lasted only a few minutes but left the community in deep fear and confusion.
Sources confirmed that soldiers stationed in Patigi town, a few kilometers from the scene of the attack, had not yet arrived to pursue the attackers as of press time.
Another resident explained that the terrorists rode through Lade without any alert being raised.
“They halted two people on motorcycles who encountered them on the road. The men had rifles and killed the two riders instantly,” the source said.
Residents described the situation as “complete pandemonium,” with many families fleeing the area for safety as tension continues to rise.
Police Response Unavailable
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, proved unsuccessful. Calls and text messages sent to his phone were unanswered as of the time of filing this report.
This latest attack adds to the string of violent incidents plaguing communities across Niger and Kwara States. On September 29, about 12 forest guards, including a village chief, were reportedly murdered by gunmen in Oke-Ode, a community under the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
Following that incident, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq visited Oke-Ode to sympathize with bereaved families and promised stronger security intervention across border communities.
Residents of Rani and Lade are now calling on the state and federal governments to act swiftly to prevent further bloodshed and abductions.
A Community in Fear
As of Monday morning, the whereabouts of Alhaji Ndako remain unknown, and the search for him continues. Fear and uncertainty have gripped residents who now live under the shadow of possible renewed attacks.
With security agencies yet to make an official statement, the people of Rani village can only hope for the swift rescue of their abducted leader and lasting peace in their troubled region.
