WATCH: Forest Guard Wounded, Civilian Abducted As Terrorists Strike Kwara Community In Broad Daylight
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Terrorists have attacked a forest guard operative identified as Saheed and a civilian in Babanla community, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, leaving one person abducted and another seriously injured.
Sources who spoke to SaharaReporters said the incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the sources, the forest guard and the civilian, identified as Rashid Oke-Apata, were travelling on a motorcycle when they were ambushed by armed men.
“The two men were on a motorcycle when the attackers suddenly opened fire on them,” the source said. “Despite the gunshots, the forest guard refused to stop. That was when one of the assailants used a machete to strike him deeply on the hand.”
The source added that amid the chaos, the passenger, Rashid Oke-Apata, reportedly jumped off the motorcycle in a desperate attempt to escape but was overpowered and abducted by the attackers.
“He tried to run for his life after jumping from the bike, but the gunmen chased and kidnapped him,” the source explained.
A video obtained by SaharaReporters shows the injured forest guard officer with a deep machete wound on his hand, bleeding profusely. His condition was described as critical but stable after the attack.
The brazen assault has created fears among the residents in Kwara south, who say the area has increasingly come under threat from armed groups operating within nearby forests.
As of the time of filing this report, it remains unclear whether any rescue operation has been launched to secure the release of the abducted victim.
Previously, SaharaReporters reported that residents of Kwara South, under the aegis of the Kwara South Development Forum, staged a protest over what they described as persistent insecurity across their communities. They called on President Bola Tinubu and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to take urgent action before the situation worsens.
The protesters accused armed groups, which they repeatedly described as terrorists, of taking over indigenous Yoruba communities in Kwara South and unleashing a wave of killings, kidnappings, and forced displacement.
They warned that several communities had been overrun, while local vigilante structures were being systematically dismantled.
Speaking during the protest, the Convener of the forum, Obashola Ayomide Ridwan, painted a grim picture of the security situation, alleging that informants were assisting the attackers in targeting local defence leaders.
“Our local vigilante commanders were identified by informants, and the terrorists went after each of them and killed them one by one. After eliminating these commanders, they took over our communities, killing and kidnapping innocent people,” he said.
He added that the consequences had been devastating across the region, with families torn apart and social structures collapsing.
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