Isapa, a quiet agrarian community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, has been thrown into grief and disbelief after armed bandits stormed the village on Monday evening, kidnapping eleven residents — including a pregnant woman — in what locals describe as “the most terrifying night in years.”
What began as the distant sound of cattle bells quickly escalated into a full-blown assault. Residents say between 20 and 30 armed men moved through the community with a large herd of cattle, shooting wildly and forcing families to flee into nearby bushes. An elderly woman was reportedly hit by a stray bullet.
Unlike previous incidents where isolated homes were targeted, this attack tore through the heart of the community. Seven of the kidnapped victims came from a single household, a detail that residents say underscores the growing boldness — and brutality — of the attackers.
Bullet holes now scar the walls and doors of several homes, while spent AK-47 shells were found across the village, evidence of a siege that lasted longer than anyone could comprehend in the moment. “It was war,” one resident told The Guardian. “Not a robbery. Not a raid. War.”
Three of the abducted victims are said to have escaped, though details remain unclear.
The Isapa attack comes at a time when communities in this Kwara-Niger-Kogi axis are grappling with an escalating wave of coordinated kidnappings. Just last week, 38 worshippers were abducted and three killed during a church service in neighbouring Eruku — an incident that drew national outrage. President Bola Tinubu later announced their release without clarifying whether ransom was paid, despite an earlier ₦100 million per person demand from the captors.
The President also linked the latest violence to broader national security pressures, referencing the ongoing rescue operation for 315 schoolchildren kidnapped in Niger State, which prompted him to cancel his attendance at the G20 Summit in South Africa. “Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety,” he said.
Amid rising tension, the Kwara State Government has shut schools in four local government areas — a drastic but telling measure that reflects growing concern that soft targets are increasingly at risk.
Kwara Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, confirmed the Isapa attack but said he was en route to the community for a full assessment. “I will update you when I get there,” he said.
Meanwhile, security operatives and local vigilantes have launched a joint manhunt, combing surrounding forests in search of the abductors and the eight victims still missing.
For residents, the most painful blow is the sense that the attacks are becoming predictable — and that response times remain slow.
“This is not just about Isapa,” another villager said. “It is about forgotten communities becoming hunting grounds.”
Pregnant Woman Among 11 Abducted in Kwara Bandit Assault
