Kwara Police Hunt Bandits After Attack on Emir’s Palace, Kidnap of 10
The Kwara State Police Command has launched a manhunt for suspected bandits following a coordinated attack on the palace of the Emir of Yashikira and a police divisional headquarters in Kaiama Local Government Area of the state, during which 10 persons were abducted.
The command said the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday at about 2:00 a.m. in Yashikira, where armed criminals simultaneously targeted the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the palace of the Emir.
According to the police, part of the palace was set ablaze during the attack, while 10 residents were abducted and taken to an unknown destination.
However, the police said operatives on duty successfully repelled the assault on the divisional headquarters, preventing the gunmen from overrunning the facility.
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In response to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Ojo Adekimi, ordered what the command described as a “full-scale, intelligence-driven tactical operation” involving the police, military, forest guards, vigilantes, and other security stakeholders.
Police spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, in a statement issued on Sunday, said security operatives had commenced aggressive bush-combing and surveillance operations across surrounding forests and suspected criminal hideouts to rescue the victims and apprehend the attackers.
“The Commissioner of Police wishes to categorically state that the Command will not bow to threats, intimidation, or acts of terror orchestrated by bandits and criminal elements operating within any part of the state,” the statement read.
Quoting the police commissioner, the command added: “These criminals have declared war against peace-loving citizens, and we are fully prepared to hunt them down relentlessly. We will deploy everything within our operational capacity to smoke them out of hiding, dismantle their networks, rescue all abducted victims, and ensure they face the full wrath of the law.”
The police assured residents of Yashikira, Kaiama LGA, and other parts of the state that security operations had been intensified in vulnerable communities to forestall further attacks.
By PRNigeria
