Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

Barely 24 hours after bandits attacked Eruku town in Kwara State, another group of bandits have abducted four rice farmers in Bokungi village in Edu Local Government Area of the state.

The latest attack, according to THISDAY checks, happened Wednesday between 6.30 p.m and 7.00 p.m when the rice farmers were working on their farms.

In the first assault, it was gathered that two farmers were abducted while they were packaging their harvested rice. 

Moments later, another two were kidnapped from a neighbouring farm, bringing the total number of victims to four.

The coordinated nature of the attack, according to sources close to the village, has heightened fears among residents of the community.

THISDAY learnt that the suspected bandits were said to have invaded the farms and started shooting sporadically before they abducted the farmers.

The suspected bandits were said to have taken their victims into the bush but they are yet to ask for ransom from the families of the abducted farmers.

Some of the residents of Bokungi village in Edu Local Government Area of the state, who spoke with THISDAY on Thursday in Ilorin, described the repeated attacks in the area as alarming and called on security agencies to intensify operations across the Lafiagi–Bokungi axis to prevent further abductions.

According to one of them who craved anonymity, “We  want to inform you that we cannot sleep with our two eyes closed again talkless of going to our farms again.”

They said that the ugly development has continued to create fear among the residents of Bokungi village because of the incessant bandits’ attack on the people of the village.

The residents therefore called on the Federal and state Governments to rise up to the occasion so as to bring a lasting peace to the area.

Contacted, a senior police officer at Edu Divisional Police Headquarters at Lafaji, who sought anonymity, confirmed the incident, saying: “We are working round the clock to ensure the rescue of the rice farmers while the state police command has been briefed for further reinforcement.”

She however called on the residents to continue to give relevant information that would assist the police to fish out the perpetrators of the act in the area.

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