“Harvest of Tears: Bandits Strike Again in Kwara, Seize Four Farmers from Their Fields!”
By Passman Akpos
Suspected bandits have abducted four rice farmers in Bokungi Village, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, in yet another violent attack that has heightened fears across rural communities in the state.
According to sources, the incident occurred on Wednesday evening while the victims were working on their rice farms at the peak of the harvest season. The attackers were said to have swooped on the farmers as they gathered their harvested rice, surrounding them before forcing them into the nearby bush.
“It has been confirmed that bandits struck again at Bokungi under the Lafiagi Emirate. Four people were abducted. Information is still emerging,” a community source told reporters.
Residents said the gunmen operated for several minutes without any resistance, whisking the victims away toward an unknown destination.
The attack came barely 24 hours after gunmen invaded a church in Eruku, Ekiti LGA of the state, killing two people and abducting several others — an escalation of insecurity that has left many communities unsettled.
Community members also disclosed that the rising wave of violence in Edu LGA has already forced several farming settlements to become deserted. Farmers, they said, are now increasingly afraid to visit their farmlands, especially during the harvest period when they are most exposed.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command and the state government had yet to release an official statement regarding the latest abduction.
