Panic as bandits invade Babanla community in Kwara South, kidnap teenage girls
At least two teenage girls were kidnapped on Monday evening when bandits stormed Babanla, a town in the Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The abducted victims have been identified as Aisha Yahaya and Mariam Yusuf, both aged between 16 and 17 years.
The gunmen, according to local sources who spoke to The Informant247, arrived on several motorcycles around 8:30 p.m., heavily armed, and began shooting sporadically into the air.
“They later made their way to the palace in an attempt to kidnap the king’s wife, but she escaped. They eventually took two teenage girls between the ages of 16 and 17,” a source told The Informant247.
The Informant247 spoke to a few residents around midnight. They reported that the entire community was on high alert, trying to anticipate the bandits’ next move and warning neighboring towns to stay vigilant.
“As I am speaking to you, we are all outside. We can’t sleep. We don’t know if they are coming back or not,” one resident said.
Sources also said that local hunters had swiftly mobilized to pursue the bandits, and that a gunfire exchange between the two sides was ongoing into the early hours of Tuesday.
Confirming the incident in a statement issued by a group of Concerned Indigenes of Babanla.
“Our peaceful town of Babanla… was once again thrown into panic and fear as armed kidnappers stormed the community on motorcycles and abducted a resident,” they said in the statement.
“As of this moment, local hunters have bravely pursued the kidnappers into the forest, and a tense exchange of gunfire is currently ongoing. The sounds of gunshots echo through the night, creating anxiety and deep concern among our people.”
They further lamented the community’s vulnerability and called for urgent intervention from the Kwara State Government and security agencies.
“Our farms are abandoned out of fear, our roads are no longer safe, and now our homes are under threat. This is not the first incident — and it may not be the last unless urgent action is taken,” they warned.
The concerned indigenes also demanded the deployment of security forces and the establishment of a permanent security post in Babanla and surrounding villages to prevent further attacks.
“This is a clarion call to all stakeholders: Enough is enough. Protect Babanla. Protect Ifelodun. Protect Kwara,” the community said.
There has been no comment from either the government or security agencies on the recent wave of deadly attacks simultaneously rocking both the northern and southern parts of the state.
