Suspected bandits carried out a coordinated midnight attack on the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir of Yashikira’s palace in Kwara State in the early hours of Sunday, in what is being described as one of the boldest criminal operations the state has seen in recent times.
The Kwara State Police Command confirmed the assault in an official statement signed by the State Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, on Sunday, May 25, 2026, hours after the attackers had melted back into the darkness of the surrounding terrain.
According to police, the marauders struck at approximately 2:00 am, exploiting the vulnerability of the pre-dawn hours to simultaneously target two symbols of authority and traditional governance in Kaiama Local Government Area.
In scenes that witnesses described as terrifying, the attackers set a section of the Emir of Yashikira’s palace ablaze, the orange glow of the flames cutting through the night sky over the historic royal residence.
More alarming still, the bandits made off with no fewer than 10 persons during the operation, their identities and current conditions yet to be officially disclosed at the time of this report. The abductions have thrown families in the community into anguish, as loved ones wait anxiously for any word on the fate of the victims.
Despite the ferocity of the assault, the attack on the police divisional headquarters did not go as the criminals had planned. Duty operatives stationed at the facility stood their ground, successfully repelling the bandits and preventing what could have been a devastating overrun of the station, a scenario that has played out in other troubled parts of northern Nigeria with grievous consequences.
The resilience of the officers on duty has been noted by the command as a testament to their training and resolve, even as questions inevitably arise about the level of intelligence available ahead of such a large-scale operation.
Wasting no time, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, CP Ojo Adekimi, has ordered a comprehensive security operation to rescue the abducted victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
The operation is being conducted as a joint effort, drawing in security agencies, forest guards, and local vigilante groups the latter of whom possess invaluable knowledge of the forests and bush paths frequently used by bandits as escape and hideout routes in the region.
CP Adekimi left no ambiguity about the Command’s resolve, declaring in characteristically unsparing language: “These criminals have declared war against peace-loving citizens, and we are fully prepared to hunt them down relentlessly.”
The attack on Yashikira is the latest in a troubling pattern of banditry and kidnapping that has plagued communities across northern Nigeria’s middle-belt corridor.
The targeting of both a royal palace, a deeply revered institution in Yoruba and broader Nigerian traditional culture, and a police facility within the same operation signals a dangerous boldness among criminal networks operating in the region, one that security experts warn must be decisively confronted before it metastasizes further.
For the residents of Yashikira, Sunday’s dawn broke not with the usual rhythms of community life but with the smell of smoke, the echo of gunfire, and the unbearable silence of ten empty homes.
The Kwara State Police Command has urged residents with relevant information to contact security agencies immediately.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Suspected bandits launched a deadly midnight raid on the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir’s palace in Kwara State in the early hours of Sunday, May 25, 2026, setting the palace ablaze and abducting 10 people.
While police successfully repelled the attack on their station, the criminals escaped with their victims. A full-scale manhunt involving security agencies, forest guards, and vigilantes is now underway.
The attack represents a dangerous escalation of banditry in the region, and authorities have vowed to pursue the perpetrators without mercy until the victims are rescued and justice is served.
