Gunmen kidnap 10, torch emir’s palace in Kwara

Suspected gunmen have kidnapped 10 people after launching a coordinated overnight attack on the palace of the Emir of Yashikira in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The Kwara State Police Command said the incident occurred at about 2 a.m. on Monday, with the attackers striking both the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir’s palace at the same time.

Police spokesperson, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, disclosed that the assailants set a section of the palace on fire before abducting the victims and fleeing to an unknown destination.

She noted that while the palace suffered damage, police operatives on duty successfully repelled the attack on the divisional headquarters.

Following the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, ordered a full-scale security operation to rescue the abducted persons and apprehend those responsible.

The operation, according to the command, involves a joint effort by the police, military, vigilantes, and forest guards, with intensified surveillance, intelligence gathering, and bush-combing activities ongoing across the area.

The police reassured residents that measures have been strengthened to secure vulnerable communities and prevent further attacks.

Adekimi also vowed that security agencies would not be deterred, warning that those behind the scenes would be pursued relentlessly until the victims are rescued and the perpetrators brought to justice.