At least three people have been killed in a fresh attack on Koro community in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, in what residents describe as an escalating wave of cross-border violence linked to armed groups operating between Kwara and Kogi states.
The assault, which occurred late Monday along the Koro-Ekiti–Egbe axis near the boundary with Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, targeted members of the Kemberi community, local sources told BusinessDay via telephone.
One of the survivors disclosed that the attackers, who were heavily armed, ambushed residents, forcing many to flee into the surrounding bushes for safety.
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The latest incident followed hours of tension earlier in the day, as gunshots were reportedly heard between Koro and nearby Eruku, heightening fears of an impending strike.
According to one of the residents of the community, Oluwole Ige, the deteriorating security situation is being fuelled by the growing use of the Ogbe Forest as a refuge for criminal gangs. According to residents, the dense woodland has become a strategic base from which attackers launch raids on vulnerable settlements before retreating beyond the reach of local security patrols.
The border location of the affected communities has also compounded the challenge, with locals noting that the attackers often exploit jurisdictional gaps between Kwara and Kogi states.
Monday night’s killings are the latest in a series of violent incidents that have unsettled parts of Kwara South and neighbouring Kogi communities in recent months, prompting repeated calls for a stronger and more coordinated security presence.
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As of the time of filing this report, authorities in both states had yet to issue an official statement on the attack, while residents continue to demand urgent intervention to prevent further loss of lives.
Kwara, long considered one of Nigeria’s relatively calmer states, has in recent years witnessed a spill-over of armed violence from forested border corridors linking it to Kogi and Niger states. Security analysts attribute the trend to the movement of criminal groups seeking new operational bases amid sustained military pressure in the North-West and North-Central regions.
