- DSS arrests Kwara monarch’s wife and aide for allegedly aiding ransom collection for Terrorists
Bandits have carried out yet another attack in Kwara North, abducting a woman from Kpanpkanragi village in the Lafiagi Emirate, Edu Local Government Area.
Also, the Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested and detained the wife of Oba Aliyu Alabi Yusuf, Arojojoye II, the traditional ruler of Babanla in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, over allegations of aiding terrorists through a Point of Sale (POS) business.
A resident told Nupeko TV on Thursday morning that the assault occurred around midnight.
The attackers, who arrived in groups, brandished sophisticated weapons and fired sporadically into the air to instil fear before seizing the victim.
The woman was whisked away to an unknown destination, the source said, in what marks the latest episode in a wave of kidnappings that has continued to terrorise communities across the Lafiagi Emirate.
On Wednesday, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed that armed bandits had previously launched coordinated attacks on Motokun and Agboro communities in Patigi Local Government Area on Tuesday.
According to the state police command, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, six residents of Motokun were abducted during the raid, while six others sustained gunshot injuries.
Tragically, one female victim later died at the hospital, with the remaining injured currently receiving medical attention.
“The assailants subsequently moved to Agboro, where they targeted a private company. In the course of the attack, one police officer gallantly lost his life in active service, while properties within the facility were also vandalised,” the police said.
The statement said the state police commissioner, CP Adekimi Ojo, had deployed tactical teams in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and other security stakeholders to restore order and ensure the safe rescue of the abducted individuals.
PRNigeria gathered that the monarch’s wife and his personal assistant are currently being held at the DSS headquarters in Abuja. While the wife allegedly operated a POS outlet used for ransom collections, the aide reportedly handled the disbursement of suspicious funds to criminal elements.
The latest development comes barely weeks after a PRNigeria fact-check exposed a viral social media post claiming that monarchs in Kwara, including the “King of Babanla”, had been arrested with N120 million traced to banditry.
The report revealed the photos circulated online were AI-generated, and the Kwara Police Command at the time dismissed the reports as fake.
Despite police denials, DSS sources confirmed that the monarch’s wife and aide were indeed taken into custody.
Earlier this month, Oba Yusuf himself had sued several individuals for defamation after accusing him and his family of colluding with terrorists.
However, the monarch later withdrew the case on September 15, citing interventions from community stakeholders who appealed for peace.
Communities such as Babanla, Shegbe, Ologomo, Alabe, and Oreke in Ifelodun Local Government have faced repeated attacks, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their ancestral homes.
Many victims have been kidnapped for ransom, while others have been killed in similar raids.
Residents expressed fears that the violence could escalate further unless urgent security measures are taken.
In July, SaharaReporters reported how terrorists abducted two teenagers identified as Aisha Yahaya and Mariam Yusuf, aged between 16 and 17.
They were kidnapped when the gunmen stormed the community on motorcycles and began shooting sporadically into the air.
In August, SaharaReporters also reported that gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits launched a deadly attack on motorists along the Rore and Aranorin communities in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, leaving at least three people dead.
The incident threw residents and travellers into a state of panic as news of the killings spread across the area.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, the victims were seen lying lifeless on the roadside, their bodies partially covered with clothing and leaves by sympathisers who arrived at the scene after the attackers had fled.
Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that the armed men, believed to be operating from hideouts in nearby forests, opened fire on the unsuspecting motorists in what appeared to be a coordinated ambush.
