At least five people, including a police inspector, have been killed in an armed assault on the town of Babanla in Nigeria’s Kwara State, underscoring the ongoing security challenges facing the country.
Police said scores of unidentified gunmen arrived on motorcycles on 8 August, launching coordinated attacks on the Divisional Police Headquarters and the town’s market. Witnesses reported sustained gunfire as the assailants looted and spread panic.
Inspector Adejumo Wasiu was among those killed. Police spokesperson SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said a rapid joint response from police, soldiers, local vigilantes, and hunters eventually forced the attackers to retreat.
In a visit to the scene on Sunday, State Police Commissioner Adekimi Ojo and the Kwara Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) met with traditional ruler Oba Yusuf Aliyu Arojojoye II to assess the damage and coordinate security measures.
The security chiefs inspected key locations and announced plans for intensified armed patrols, expanded intelligence operations, and the deployment of specialist tracking units. The DSS pledged ongoing intelligence support to apprehend the perpetrators.
Authorities are urging residents to remain calm but to report suspicious activity, as communities in Nigeria continue to face threats from armed gangs, insurgents, and other violent groups.
