The wave of insecurity sweeping across Kwara State took a frightening turn on Monday evening as armed bandits stormed Isapa, a quiet settlement in Ekiti Local Government Area, abducting 11 residents, including a pregnant woman, two nursing mothers, and several children. The attack, which occurred around 6 p.m., has thrown the entire community into panic and renewed questions about the safety of rural dwellers in the state.

According to multiple eyewitness accounts, the gunmen — estimated to be between 20 and 30 — arrived in the community with a large herd of cattle, a tactic that residents say provided them with cover as they advanced. Without warning, the attackers began firing sporadically, forcing villagers to flee into bushes and nearby farmlands. Several homes were riddled with bullets, and spent AK-47 shells were recovered after the assailants retreated.

In the confusion that followed, it became clear that the gunmen had kidnapped 11 people, seven of whom belong to the same extended family. Among the victims are children as young as five, a pregnant woman, and two nursing mothers whose infants were left behind in the chaos. The abducted victims have been identified to include: Talatu Kabiru, 20; Hadiza, 10; Magaji, 6; Kande, 5; Saima, 5; Mariam, 6; a housewife identified as Habibat; another housewife, Fatima Yusufu; 22-year-old pregnant woman, Sarah Sunday; 23-year-old nursing mother, Lami Fidelis; and another nursing mother known as Haja Na Allah.

Residents who spoke to journalists described the attack as “coordinated and ruthless,” noting that the bandits appeared familiar with the terrain. Some community members claimed that the attackers moved through bush paths linking Isapa to nearby Eruku, a route they believe the captors might have used to escape into deeper forest zones.

Security officials confirmed that operatives were immediately deployed to the area and are currently combing the surrounding forests in search of the victims. A senior security source, who asked not to be named, said teams are “pursuing several leads,” adding that the terrain has made tracking the kidnappers difficult. Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Commissioner, Adekimi Ojo, reportedly travelled to Isapa late Monday night to assess the situation firsthand, though the Command is yet to release an official statement detailing its findings.

This incident comes barely a week after another violent attack in the same local government area, where bandits abducted 38 worshippers from a branch of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Eruku during an evening service. Although those victims were eventually released, the back-to-back assaults have heightened fears that the region is fast becoming a target for criminal gangs.

Local vigilantes have since intensified their patrols, while some churches and mosques have shortened evening programmes pending the restoration of security. Residents say they now live in constant fear, with many locking up their homes earlier than usual.

In response to the growing tension, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has reportedly set up a special cabinet-level security committee to develop new strategies to combat the rising threat. Security analysts believe decisive action is urgently required, as the state’s rural communities—surrounded by dense forests and limited security infrastructure—remain vulnerable to repeated attacks.

For now, families of the victims wait anxiously for news as security agents race against time to locate and rescue those taken. The abduction of children, a pregnant woman, and nursing mothers has added a heartbreaking dimension to a crisis that continues to test the resilience of communities across Kwara State.