Suspected bandits have attacked the Yashikira community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, abducting 10 persons, including two wives of the Emir of Yashikira, Alhaji Umar Seriki.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Monday, also targeted the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir’s palace.

In a statement issued in Ilorin, the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, said the gunmen launched a coordinated assault around 2:00 a.m., setting part of the palace ablaze during the operation.

The police, however, said officers on duty successfully repelled the attack on the divisional headquarters.

Following the incident, Commissioner of Police Ojo Adekimi ordered a full-scale tactical operation involving the police, military, forest guards, vigilantes, and other security agencies to rescue the victims and track down the attackers.

The police command said security operatives had intensified surveillance, intelligence gathering, and bush-combing operations across the area.

Adekimi vowed that the command would not succumb to threats from criminal elements, stressing that all available operational strategies would be deployed to dismantle the bandits’ network and bring those responsible to justice.

The command also assured residents of Yashikira and other parts of the state that efforts were ongoing to restore security and ensure the safe return of the abducted victims.