₦airaland Forum

Community leaders in Lata Nna, Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, have said that about 95 per cent of residents have fled the community following sustained bandit attacks that have left scores dead, displaced families and crippled farming activities.

The residents have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently, warning that the agrarian community could be wiped out if the worsening insecurity is not immediately addressed.

The appeal was contained in an open letter addressed to the President and obtained by The PUNCH in Ilorin on Sunday.

Signed by the Secretary of the Lata Nna Youth Association, Tauheed Desco, on behalf of the community, the letter accused the Federal Government of failing to halt repeated attacks that have turned the community’s only access road into what residents described as a “death trap.”

The community said it had endured kidnappings, armed robberies, extortion and invasions of farmlands for more than two years, but lamented that the frequency and brutality of recent attacks had pushed residents to breaking point.

“With a heavy heart and a deep sense of urgency, we write on behalf of the good people of Lata Nna community to cry out for help. We are under siege. Our lives, our livelihood and our very existence are being threatened daily by armed bandits. Only your intervention can save us,” the letter read.

“These attacks did not start today. For the past two years, we have been suffering silent, continuous attacks from these bandits. We have endured kidnappings, extortion, farm invasions and armed robberies in silence, but the recent incidents have exposed the scale of our suffering.”

The community recalled that in August 2025, a confrontation between local hunters and armed bandits reportedly claimed the lives of 65 hunters in the surrounding forest.

According to the residents, only 40 bodies were recovered for burial, while the remaining victims were allegedly taken away after the bandits overpowered the hunters with superior firepower, including AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons.

The residents also chronicled a series of attacks recorded this year.

They said that on April 15, armed bandits killed a farmer, Allassan Ndaba, while he was travelling to his farm.

They described the deceased as a hardworking farmer whose only offence was striving to provide for his family.

The community further alleged that on June 13, four heavily armed bandits riding on two motorcycles invaded Lata Nna in broad daylight, moving freely across the village in search of petrol, recharge cards and other supplies.

“The ease with which the gunmen operated demonstrated the absence of security personnel and left villagers traumatised,” the letter stated.

The residents said the security situation deteriorated further on June 26 when armed bandits blocked the only road linking the community to neighbouring towns, effectively trapping residents and cutting them off from hospitals, markets and other essential services.

They alleged that two residents returning home that day were shot dead after encountering the gunmen at the roadblock.

“The following day, June 27, villagers who went to fetch leaves behind the settlement were attacked and robbed of their money and mobile phones at gunpoint,” the community added.

The residents said the attacks continued on July 10 when armed men reportedly stormed the village in broad daylight, moving from house to house while looting food items, cash and mobile phones.

According to the letter, the attackers also broke into shops before stealing four motorcycles valued at about ₦1.6 million each.

Five days later, on July 15, a Point-of-Sale operator was reportedly robbed at gunpoint shortly after withdrawing cash from a bank to run the day’s business.

Lamenting the worsening situation, the residents said daily life in the once-thriving farming community had become impossible.

“We can no longer go to our farms. We can no longer go to the market. We can no longer sleep with our eyes closed. Our only road is a death trap. Our community is bleeding,” they said.

The community urged Tinubu to immediately deploy adequate security personnel to Lata Nna, secure the only access road into the settlement and launch sustained military operations to flush out armed bandits from nearby forests.

The residents also appealed for justice and support for the families of those killed during the attacks, particularly the relatives of Ndaba and the two residents murdered on June 26.

“Mr President, we voted for hope and security. Please do not let Lata Nna be wiped off the map. Please hear our cry and come to our rescue,” the letter added.

The latest appeal comes amid recurring attacks across several communities in Kwara North, where residents have repeatedly complained of rising cases of killings, kidnappings and armed invasions despite ongoing security operations in parts of the region.

Meanwhile, community leaders, women and religious figures have also renewed calls on President Tinubu, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Chairman of Patigi Local Government Area, Ahmed Ibrahim, to rescue the community urgently from the grip of bandits.

In a viral video obtained by The PUNCH on Saturday, the Village Head of Lata Nna, Alhaji Mohammed Lata, said the latest attacks had forced almost the entire population to abandon the community.

“The latest attacks have caused massive displacement. About 95 per cent of our people have abandoned their homes. Many now sleep in neighbouring communities and in the bush because they are afraid of returning home,” the traditional ruler said.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government, the Kwara State Government and the Patigi Local Government Council to urgently come to our aid. Our people are living in fear and uncertainty. Many have not returned home since the attacks.”

The traditional ruler also lamented the absence of mobile telecommunications services, saying poor network coverage had made it nearly impossible for residents to seek help during attacks.

He said the lack of a permanent security presence had emboldened the bandits, while the absence of a functional healthcare facility had left injured victims without immediate medical attention.

Women featured in the video broke down in tears as they recounted how insecurity had destroyed family life and economic activities in the once-peaceful farming settlement.

One of the women said she had become the only occupant of her compound after virtually every other resident fled for safety.

Other residents said those who remained in the community no longer slept in their homes, choosing instead to spend the night in neighbouring settlements before returning during the day.

The Chief Imam of Lata Nna also appealed for urgent government intervention, warning that continued inaction could expose the remaining residents to more deadly attacks.

The community urged the government to establish a permanent security post, improve telecommunications services, provide a standard healthcare facility and deliver relief materials to displaced families.

“Our people deserve to live in peace, safety and dignity. We hope our cry for help will receive urgent attention before more lives and properties are lost,” the village head said.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Kwara State Government were unsuccessful, as the Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, neither answered telephone calls nor responded to text messages sent to her as of the time of filing this report.

These attacks did not start today. For the past two years, we have been suffering silent, continuous attacks from these bandits. We have endured kidnappings, extortion, farm invasions and armed robberies in silence, but the recent incidents have exposed the scale of our suffering0

adez2016:
it is well. may Nigeria win at the end

vick00:
We are mocking these people because it not our community. Nobody knows which state is next for these attackers to invade.

iwaeda:
https://punchng.com/banditry-95-of-our-people-have-fled-kwara-community-cries-to-tinubu/