A surviving police officer has revealed that terrorists who attacked Yashikira community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State overwhelmed security operatives with superior weapons before invading the palace of the Emir and abducting several residents. The officer said the attackers launched coordinated assaults on both the police divisional headquarters and the palace in the early hours of Sunday.
The officer said the terrorists arrived heavily armed with AK-47 rifles and attacked the police station with the intention of killing officers on duty. He claimed the attackers overpowered the policemen due to their superior firepower before proceeding to the Emir’s palace.
The officer also contradicted the official police statement that operatives repelled the attack, insisting the gunmen were not defeated. According to him, the attackers later stormed the palace, abducting about 12 people, including the Emir’s wives and children, while security operatives struggled to respond because they were poorly equipped.
Residents said the attackers invaded the community around 12:40am, operated for nearly two hours, burnt vehicles and damaged parts of the Emir’s palace, throwing the community into fear and distress. Community members appealed to the Kwara State Government and security agencies for urgent reinforcement to prevent further attacks.
Confirming the incident, the Kwara State Police Command said suspected bandits attacked both the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir’s palace, abducting 10 persons and setting part of the palace ablaze. The Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, has ordered a joint security operation involving the police, military, vigilantes and forest guards to rescue the victims and track down the attackers.
