‎Gunmen, suspected to be terrorists, have reportedly killed five people in the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.

It was gathered that the incident occurred on Monday morning in Kemanji, a border community.

‎Kemanji is also the headquarters of Kemanji Ward in the local government area.

Some residents in the area said that the suspected terrorists stormed the community in the early hours of the day and attacked security operatives, including vigilance members, resulting in heavy gunfire.

‎‎Residents were also said to have fled their homes during the attack, seeking safety in nearby bushes and neighbouring communities as the sound of gunfire intensified.

Although the authorities have yet to issue any official statement on the incident, one of the residents said some soldiers were killed in the attack.

‎‎”Bandits invaded Kemanji this morning around 3:00 a.m. Our security agents, the army, and local vigilantes engaged them in an intense gun battle that lasted till 5 a.m.

“They killed a few of our soldiers. We still can’t say how extremely disastrous the attack was until daybreak. Till then, pray for the departed soldiers,” the resident said.

‎Another member of the community also confirmed that a member of a local vigilance group was killed.

“There was a heavy gunshot this morning in Kemanji. Four gallant soldiers were killed, and one vigilante was hit by a bullet,” the resident stated.

‎As of the time of filing this report, it was unclear whether any residents were abducted during the attack, as authorities had yet to give an official statement on the incident.

‎Efforts to get official confirmation from the Kwara State Police Command and military authorities regarding the incident had yet to yield fruit as of the time of filing the report.

Terrorist Attacks

‎Kaiama has faced attacks from suspected terrorists in recent times.

The latest attack came 10 days after five forest guards, including a commander, were killed by armed bandits in the Nuku community, also in Kaiama.

They suspected terrorists also destroyed motorcycles of the forest guards and burned down several buildings in the community.

In February 2026, at least 75 people were killed in an attack on communities in the local government area.

The state Governor, Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq, described the incident as a “pure massacre” and confirmed that at least 75 victims had already been buried.

President Bola Tinubu also ordered the deployment of an army battalion to reinforce security in the state under Operation Savannah Shield.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, had, during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, explained that the location of the attack posed a challenge, as it is about two hours from the divisional headquarters in Kaiama.

“The present toll of casualties that we have from that dastardly act that happened on the 3rd of February at about 17:30 hours is 75. Investigations are still ongoing, and we will continue to update members of the public as necessary,” she said.

According to her, the Kwara State Police Command was promptly informed after the incident, following which the Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, ordered an immediate deployment to the affected communities. (Channels TV, excluding headline)

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