What began as an ordinary night of sleep turned into hours of terror for residents of Abudu Community in Oke Oyi, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State, after suspected bandits invaded the settlement, looted homes, brutalised occupants and abducted several residents during a coordinated late-night attack.

The attack, which occurred at about 11 pm on Tuesday, has left families devastated, with survivors recounting how the gunmen moved from house to house, speaking different languages, carting away millions of naira and forcing victims into the surrounding forest.

The disturbing accounts emerged in separate emotional video testimonies obtained by Sunday PUNCH, as grieving relatives appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the Emir of Ilorin, security agencies and other relevant authorities to intensify efforts to rescue those still in captivity.

Among those who shared their ordeal was a woman who said she was abducted alongside three of her children but was eventually abandoned by the gunmen after sustaining severe injuries that left her unable to continue the journey into the bush.

Her trembling voice repeatedly broke as she recalled watching helplessly while the attackers dragged away her children after ransacking the family’s home.

According to her, the attackers had surrounded the compound before forcing their way inside, leaving the family with virtually no chance of escaping.

“My first son escaped through the back of the house before they entered, but they caught him and beat him mercilessly,” she said in Yoruba.

“They entered another room where my children were sleeping and brought out three of them. Some of the men were dragging us away while others searched the house.”

She said every plea for mercy was ignored as the gunmen allegedly emptied the family’s savings and subjected members of the household to repeated beatings.

“They took all the money we had. They left nothing behind,” she said. “I kept begging them, but they continued beating me. I fell down several times, and whenever I tried to stand, they beat me again until I fell into the fire.”

The woman also claimed the attackers communicated mostly in Hausa alongside other languages she could not identify, while hurling insults at their captives throughout the ordeal.

She said the kidnappers eventually abandoned her after realising she could no longer keep pace because of the injuries she sustained.

Still overwhelmed by emotion, the mother pleaded, “I am begging the Governor and everyone who can help us. Please rescue my children. Have mercy on us. I never imagined my family would experience this kind of tragedy.”

Another survivor, an elderly man whose children were among those abducted, said he remained haunted by the events of that night, describing how the attackers overpowered members of his household within minutes.

According to him, the family had retired for the night when loud noises erupted at the entrance to their residence.

“They broke our gate and entered before anyone could react,” he recalled. “My first child opened the door, and they immediately forced their way inside. They entered every room and took everything they could find.”

He said the attackers appeared well coordinated, arriving in large numbers and completely surrounding the compound before ordering everyone outside.

“They were many. There was nowhere anybody could run to because they had already surrounded the house,” he said.

The elderly man said one striking aspect of the operation was the different languages spoken by the gunmen.

“I heard English, Hausa and other languages I couldn’t identify. I also saw some light-skinned men whom I recognised as Bororo.”

He alleged that the attackers assaulted him physically, fired gunshots during the invasion and sprayed an unknown substance into his eyes.

“They beat me badly. They also sprayed something into my eyes, and I couldn’t see properly afterwards,” he said.

According to him, neighbours only realised the extent of the attack after the assailants had disappeared into the forest with their captives.

He identified some of those abducted as Aminatu Salihu and Jamiu Salihu, adding that three other victims were also taken away during the invasion.

“Please help us. We are begging the Governor, the Emir of Ilorin and all security agencies. Our children must not be abandoned,” the elderly man appealed.

The testimonies have further highlighted growing anxiety among residents of rural communities in Kwara, where repeated cases of kidnappings and armed attacks have continued to fuel fears over deteriorating security.

The Executive Chairman of Ilorin East Local Government Area, Lukman Olayinka, confirmed the incident during a visit to the affected community on Wednesday.

During the sympathy and security assessment visit, Olayinka assured residents that security agencies had intensified efforts to rescue those abducted and apprehend the perpetrators.

The council chairman disclosed that three of the victims were identified as Wasiu, Jamiu and a pregnant woman, Amidah.

He further revealed that the attackers made away with more than ₦4 million belonging to Wasiu and his mother, proceeds from their charcoal business.

Olayinka said he visited the community alongside operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and members of the Forest Guards, all of whom reaffirmed their commitment to securing the victims’ release.

He said local vigilantes commenced search operations immediately after the incident and had since been working with security agencies to track the kidnappers.

While appealing to residents to remain calm and continue supporting security operatives with credible intelligence, the chairman assured the community that every available resource was being deployed to ensure the abducted victims returned home safely. (Sunday PUNCH)

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