Trending 
Gunmen, suspected to be terrorists, have reportedly killed five people in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The incident is said to have occurred on Monday morning in Kemanji, a border community and the administrative headquarters of Kemanji Ward in the area.
Residents reported that the attackers stormed the community in the early hours, engaging security operatives, including local vigilantes, in a fierce exchange of gunfire.
As the shooting intensified, many residents fled their homes, seeking refuge in nearby bushes and neighbouring communities.
Although authorities are yet to issue an official statement, a resident claimed that some soldiers were killed during the assault.
“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 resident confirmed that a member of a local vigilance group lost his life.
“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 remained unclear whether any residents were abducted, as officials have yet to provide confirmation. Efforts to obtain responses from the police and military authorities were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
Kaiama has experienced a series of attacks by suspected terrorists in recent times. The latest incident occurred just 10 days after five forest guards, including a commander, were killed by armed bandits in the Nuku community, also within Kaiama.
The attackers reportedly destroyed motorcycles belonging to the forest guards and set several buildings ablaze.
In February 2026, at least 75 people were killed in coordinated attacks across communities in the local government area.
Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq described the incident as a “pure massacre” and confirmed that at least 75 victims had been buried.
President Bola Tinubu subsequently 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 earlier noted that the remote location of the affected communities posed logistical challenges for security response.
