NAF Scrambles Fighter Jets After Deadly Terror Attack on Vigilantes in Kwara State
In a decisive counter-terror operation, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) on Sunday scrambled a fighter jet to support ground forces after terrorists launched a deadly attack on Oke-Ode, a farming community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
PRNigeria gathered that the jet, mobilised from a nearby operational base, provided Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) cover to aid the troops who engaged the attackers in coordinated ground operations.
The terrorists had stormed Oke-Ode in the early hours of Sunday, unleashing heavy gunfire that overwhelmed members of local vigilante groups and forest guards. Scores of villagers were killed, while several residents were abducted during the raid.
According to eyewitnesses, the assailants moved in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately and setting off panic across the community. Disturbing video clips from the aftermath, which circulated online, showed multiple casualties.
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A resident told PRNigeria that the impact of the assault was worsened by the recent withdrawal of military personnel previously stationed in the area.
The Chief Press Secretary to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Rafiu Ajakaye, confirmed the attack, stressing that the sacrifices of the vigilantes and forest guards prevented a far greater tragedy as some of the attackers also lost their lives.
The Oke-Ode assault is part of a wider wave of banditry across Kwara State. In Tsaragi, Edu Local Government Area, armed bandits abducted a prominent businessman during a midnight operation. He was seized at his residence days after opening a new fuel station in the town.
Similarly, in Lema community of Edu LGA, two brothers were ambushed on their farm. One was killed instantly, while the other sustained critical injuries.
The repeated incursions have deepened anxiety across Kwara North and South, where many farming communities depend on vigilante networks for survival in the face of escalating terror threats.
Security experts warn that the coordinated strikes highlight the need for urgent reinforcement of military deployments across rural areas, stressing that reliance on local vigilantes alone leaves communities dangerously exposed.
By PRNigeria
