At least three vigilantes were killed on Monday in a bloody encounter between local hunters, vigilantes, and armed kidnappers in Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State.

According to confirmed reports, the tragic incident occurred during a violent confrontation between bandits and security forces in Gada Woro, along Patigi Road near Gbugbu town, in Edu LGA.

The encounter resulted in the deaths of three vigilantes and injuries to several security officers, after the bandits reportedly taunted the vigilantes to confront them near Gbugbu, leading to an exchange of gunfire.

Reports indicated that “the bandits had gathered at Gada along Patigi Road near Gbugbu, daring the vigilantes to come and face them. The vigilantes, accompanied by soldiers and DSS personnel, responded to the challenge but were forced to retreat due to the bandits’ heavy weaponry.”

Confirmed casualties included Mohammed Nma Dsuru, a vigilante from Kokodo village; Yanda Doctor from Lafiagi town; and Ndagi Saraka, a vigilante from Edogi village. One vigilante remains missing, and several security officers sustained injuries.

OSUNDAILY NG reports that the incident has sparked widespread fear and concern among residents, who are urging security agencies to take decisive action to protect them.

A prominent resident of the area, who preferred anonymity, informed OSUNDAILY NG that community leaders met with Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to discuss the rising insecurity.

He disclosed that the governor assured them that around 100 soldiers from Sobi Cantonment in Ilorin would be deployed to the area to provide security.

The source further revealed that reinforcements had also been sourced from neighbouring Niger State, including the invocation of supernatural forces to protect the indigenous people.

Meanwhile, the Gbugbu International Market, a major economic hub in the area, has been deserted until further notice due to the escalating insecurity. Market leaders cited the need to prioritise the safety of traders and customers.

Residents of Lafiagi, Kokodo village, Gada Woro, and Gbugbu community are living in fear and calling for increased security presence to prevent further attacks.

“We are at the mercy of these bandits,” said a resident who wished to remain anonymous. “We need the security agencies to come to our aid and protect us from these terrorists.”

The incident is the latest in a string of bandit attacks in Kwara State, which has witnessed a surge in kidnappings and killings in recent times. While the state government has promised to take decisive action to address the security challenges, residents remain sceptical.

As the situation continues to unfold, many are clinging to hope that authorities will take concrete steps to protect them and restore peace to the area.

In a related development, the people of Patigi Local Government Area have also declared war on banditry and kidnapping.

Reports indicate that local hunters and vigilantes have commenced a full-scale pursuit of the bandits and kidnappers in the forests of the LGA.

It was gathered that gunmen invaded the community, firing repeatedly to scare residents in an attempt to abduct prominent individuals in the early hours of Tuesday.

OSUNDAILY NG recalls that the state Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, visited Lafiagi just hours after several facilities were set ablaze, including the NDLEA office and the Emir’s palace.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in Ilorin on Wednesday, were unsuccessful.

Troops of 3 Division, Operation Safe Haven, conducting the ongoing Operation Lafiyan Jama’a, laid an ambush at the crossing points of bandits along the Kampani Zurak–Sabon Gari road in Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Major Samson Nantip Zhakom, Media Information Officer, Operation Safe Haven, in a statement, said the operation was based on credible information about the movement of bandits who had kidnapped a resident of the general area.

During the operation, troops made contact with the criminals conveying their victim on a motorcycle and neutralised one of the criminals, while the others abandoned the victim and fled into the surrounding bushes.

The statement said troops rescued the victim, identified as Mr Adamu Alhaji Nuhu, 45, and recovered one fabricated pistol, one pistol magazine, four rounds of 9mm ammunition, one Boxer motorcycle, and other sundry items abandoned by the criminals.

It added that the recovered items are in the custody of the troops for further action.

Meanwhile, troops are conducting follow-up operations to intercept and arrest the fleeing members of the syndicate.

The leadership of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has issued a stern warning to those fomenting trouble in the South-East region of the country in the name of Biafra agitation to desist forthwith or incur the wrath of the law.

IPOB warned that any individuals or groups, whether self-acclaimed commanders, agitators, or enforcers, attempting directly or indirectly to exploit the agitation for self-determination to foment violence, commit atrocities, or destabilise the homeland under any guise, would be severely dealt with.

A statement on Wednesday by Emma Powerful, spokesperson for IPOB, warned that there is no more room for any form of criminality or violence in Igbo land.

The statement read in part: “In recent weeks, we have observed with grave concern, a disturbing escalation of insecurity in parts of the South-East and South South, including kidnappings in Enugu and Imo states, gruesome killings of civilians and security agents in Abia and Anambra and the indiscriminate extortion of traders and commuters in Ebonyi State.

“These heinous acts, carried out by both state and non-state actors, are completely antithetical to the ideals and philosophy of IPOB.

“Let it be known to all and sundry that neither Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu nor the leadership structure of IPOB, from the Directorate of State to the last unit coordinator across the globe, has sanctioned any form of disturbance, violence, or criminal operation in Biafraland.

“Our leader has consistently called for total calm, restraint and strategic focus as we approach the decisive conclusion of his ongoing legal battle.

“We reiterate in the clearest terms possible that IPOB is not, and has never been, a violent organization. Our strategy for the peaceful and lawful restoration of Biafra is anchored on legal instruments, diplomatic engagement, referenda and mass mobilization and not bloodshed, criminality or coercion.

“Those who carry out kidnappings, assassinations, arson, or extortion in the name of Biafra are not part of IPOB.

“They are enemies of our people, enemies of the Biafra restoration project. Let no criminal hide behind the revered name of IPOB to commit evil. Let no cultist, bandit, political thug, or state-sponsored killer parade as a freedom fighter. IPOB has zero tolerance for criminality.

“To be clear, anybody enforcing sit-at-home orders without IPOB authorization is not one of us. Anybody who abducts or kills innocent civilians, security agents, or traditional rulers is not one of us.

“Anybody intimidating traders, commuters, or students in the name of Biafra is a saboteur, not a patriot.

“We have also taken note of state-induced violence and black operations designed to implicate IPOB, especially in areas where government agents stage attacks or deploy counter-insurgency forces to terrorize civilians.

“These tactics have been used repeatedly to demonize our movement and justify the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in defiance of court orders and international law.

“We must not fall for these traps. We must remain vigilant, focused, and grounded in truth. IPOB was established to protect our people, not to endanger them. The oath we swore is to defend Biafra land and its people and not to destroy lives or disrupt economic activities.

“Let this message echo in every village, town, and diaspora unit. IPOB is a disciplined movement. We do not kill. We do not kidnap. We do not burn our communities. We do not operate in secrecy. We do not compel obedience through terror.

“Those perpetrating violence in our name are either government operatives in disguise or misguided elements who will be exposed, disowned, and decisively dealt with.

“This is a critical moment in our journey to freedom. We urge all IPOB family members, supporters and well-meaning Biafrans to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and unwavering in their loyalty to Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“Let us not sabotage our own struggle by allowing criminals and enemies to infiltrate our ranks.

“Any act of violence from this point forward will be treated as a betrayal of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and a direct sabotage of the Biafran cause.

“We are IPOB. We are peaceful. We are focused. We are righteous. And we are unstoppable because our mandate is divine and our cause is just.”