At least 11 people, including a pregnant woman, children, and two nursing mothers, were abducted when armed bandits attacked Isapa, a community near Eruku in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The latest assault took place around 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 24, barely 24 hours after the release of victims kidnapped during a church service in nearby Ekuru the previous Tuesday.
According to reports, an estimated 20 to 30 bandits stormed the community, firing sporadically as they advanced. Their gunshots forced residents to flee in panic. An elderly woman was reportedly struck by a stray bullet during the chaos.
A community leader, who requested anonymity, confirmed that eleven persons were taken, seven of them from one household.
“The victims include a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several young children,” he said.
Those abducted were identified as Talatu Kabiru, 20; Magaji, 6; Kande, 5; Hadiza, 10; Mariam, 6; Saima, 5; a housewife, Habibat; another housewife, Fatima Yusufu; a pregnant woman, Sarah Sunday, 22; a nursing mother, Lami Fidelis, 23; and another nursing mother, Haja Na Allah.
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen moved through sections of the town, leaving bullet holes in walls and doors.
Expended AK-47 shells were later recovered from several points in the community after the attackers retreated with their captives.
It was gathered that the situation has heightened tension across Isapa and surrounding settlements as security agencies and local vigilante groups intensify efforts to locate the kidnappers and rescue the victims.
