Three suspected bandits have been killed and nine kidnapped victims rescued during a joint security operation led by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The intelligence-led operation, carried out in collaboration with the Kwara State Forest Guards, local hunters and vigilantes, followed a fierce gun battle with the suspected kidnappers in the Obbo Aiyegunle, Ejiu Ora and Osi communities along the Kwara–Ekiti border.
The rescued victims included farmers abducted from their farmlands as well as others who had previously been kidnapped in neighbouring Ekiti State. They regained their freedom after the attackers fled under sustained gunfire, abandoning their captives.
Confirming the operation on Wednesday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Area, Prince Dada Sunday, said actionable intelligence enabled security operatives to locate the bandits’ hideout and launch the rescue mission.
According to him, the gang, believed to comprise more than 10 armed men, had assembled victims abducted from different locations before the security team stormed the area.
He disclosed that one of the rescued victims suffered severe head injuries after being attacked with a machete while resisting abduction.
One of the victims, Umaru Muazu, a resident of Obbo Aiyegunle, described the terrifying experience.
“They came from nowhere and pointed a gun at my head. Four of them took me and my son. They also seized my friend’s motorcycle before forcing us into the bush,” he said.
Another rescued farmer, Ibrahim Danga, said the victims had been held in captivity for some time before security personnel arrived and engaged the kidnappers in a gunfight.
A member of the Kwara State Forest Guards, Owolabi Adebayo, confirmed that the operation was based on intelligence gathered by security agencies.
“We neutralised three of them and rescued nine victims. They were heavily armed with different types of firearms,” he said.
Adebayo, however, appealed for improved operational support, saying the Forest Guards require additional equipment, including body armour, binoculars, night-vision goggles, walkie-talkies and ammunition, to strengthen their fight against armed criminal groups operating in forested areas.
The operation marks another coordinated effort by security agencies and local security outfits to curb kidnapping and banditry in communities along the Kwara–Ekiti border, an area that has witnessed repeated attacks by armed gangs in recent months.
