Gunmen known locally as bandits have attacked vehicles travelling on routes in Oyo and Kwara states, abducting several passengers.
A commercial driver, whose colleague was among the victims, exclusively told Legit NG that the attack occurred on Wednesday night, March 4.
He added that the assailants seized about eight passengers from three different vehicles. Two additional reliable sources confirmed the attack to this reporter, with one noting that she saw security forces’ aircraft patrolling the skies in Kishi town on Thursday morning, March 5, a sight she described as “very unusual.”
Kishi, located in the far northern part of Oyo State, serves as the headquarters of Irepo Local Government Area (LGA). Sources say tension is mounting in the town.
Details of the incident remain unclear, as police authorities in Oyo said they were unaware of the attack when contacted. Ayanlade Olayinka, the state police spokesperson, told Legit NG.
“I don’t have an update about that.”
Likewise, no official statement has been issued by the government as of the time of this report.
‘Terrorists hide in Old Oyo forest reserve’
GISTSMATE MEDIA reported that key stakeholders in Kishi recently lamented that the Old Oyo Forest Reserve, located between Kishi and Igbeti, has become a convenient hideout for bandits, enabling them to move freely. Igbeti is situated in Olorunsogo Local Government Area (LGA) of Oyo State.
At the conclusion of a major stakeholders’ meeting held on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at the residence of Bayo Lawal, the deputy governor of Oyo State, the participants warned that the presence of bandits in Old Oyo National Park poses a serious threat to the security of the South-West region.
The emergency meeting, convened amid rumours of a kidnapping at Kishi Nursing College, was attended by Prof. Solihu Adelabu, the Oyo State Commissioner for Establishment and Training; Taoheed Olayiwola, chairman of Irepo LGA; a representative of Kishi monarch Oba Masoud Aweda Arowoduye II; as well as personnel from the National Park Service of Nigeria and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others.
Although the speculation of a bandit attack at Kishi Nursing College was later proven false, stakeholders said they are taking proactive measures to address the rising insecurity in the area. Legit.ng exclusively obtained a communiqué from the meeting, which raised alarm over the potential dangers.
Kwara communities under terror attack
In early February, terrorists killed over 100 people in Woro community, Kaiama LGA, Kwara state. Many stakeholders have highlighted the parallels between the tragedy in Woro and the potential dangers lurking in the valleys of Kishi’s Irepo LGA because the two areas are geographically not too far from each other.
After the Woro attack, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the deployment of an army battalion to Kwara.
In a statement published on social media, Tinubu said the military command would spearhead the effort, codenamed Operation Savannah Shield, “to checkmate the barbaric terrorists.”
The Nigerian leader condemned the attack as “cowardly and barbaric”, saying the gunmen targeted defenceless villagers.
Still, reports continue to emerge of terrorists invading Kwara communities.
For instance, panic overwhelmed residents of Gbugbu community in the Edu LGA of Kwara state on Sunday, February 22, following an alleged invasion of the community by suspected terrorists.
Reports said the gunmen attacked the community after 8 pm.
Earlier, on Sunday evening, February 15, local security sources reported that bandits attacked Share community in Ifelodun LGA of Kwara state.
Ibraheem Abdullateef, the senior special assistant on communications to Kwara state governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, confirmed the attack. Abdullateef disclosed that there was an exchange of gunshots that lasted for about one hour.
Kidnappings for ransom have become common in parts of Nigeria, where armed gangs target rural communities, often overwhelming local security forces.
The unrest has heaped pressure on the Nigerian government, with President Tinubu declaring a nationwide emergency in November 2025.
Moreover, United States President Donald Trump recently threatened to carry out attacks in Nigeria in response to purported anti-Christian violence.
While human rights groups have urged the Nigerian government to do more to address unrest in the country, experts say that claims of a “Christian genocide” are false and simplistic.
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