Terrorists Kill Five Villagers, Three Soldiers, Abduct Women and Children
By Onibiyo Segun
(Oro Ago, Kwara State) – Suspected terrorists on motorcycles and pickup trucks killed five villagers and three soldiers on Thursday April 2 and abducted more than 20 women and children in coordinated raids on rural communities in Oro Ago, a town about 25 kilometers east of Ilorin, the state capital.
Just days earlier, on March 29, gunmen on motorcycles opened fire in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North, Plateau State, killing more than 28 residents and prompting a 48‑hour curfew.
Bandits and Insurgents: A Growing Partnership
This attack reflects a broader trend across Kwara, Zamfara, Kaduna, and Niger states, where criminal networks increasingly collaborate with Islamist insurgents, including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and remnants of Boko Haram.
“The way they operate now shows clear coordination with established terrorist cells,” said Colonel Suleiman Abubakar, retired Nigerian Army officer in Bauchi, who tracks insurgent activity, in an interview with TruthNigeria.
“These groups have intelligence, weapons, and logistics support that only a larger network can provide,” Abubakar added.
He explained the symbiotic cooperation between insurgents and bush gangs this way: Insurgencies such as Boko Haram gain local networks to move personnel and materials through villages, while bandits gain access to advanced weapons, training, and protection from military operations.
Military Struggles in Rural Terrain
Authorities in Kwara have repeatedly struggled to respond. Survivors say that by the time soldiers arrive, attackers often have vanished.
“Sending soldiers without clear intelligence into villages where these networks operate is almost a death sentence,” said Dr. Halima Yusuf, security expert at the Institute for Strategic Studies, Abuja.
“Terror groups such as ISWAP and Lakurawa are fluid. One moment they act as armed gangs, the next as insurgents. They are trained to evade and manipulate responses,” Yusuf added.
Kidnapping for Ransom: Funding the Violence
Abductions appear to be a primary funding source for these hybrid networks.
“Many abductees are taken to unknown locations for ransom, which funds weapons, fighters, and operational expansion,” said Bulus Bala, military counter-terrorism reporter, to TruthNigeria.
He cited kidnappers’ dens in forests of eastern Niger State (linked to the name “Rijana,” a town 40 km south of Kaduna city,) as hubs for these operations.
Data from SaharaReporters indicates that in the first three months of 2026, more than 120 people were abducted in northern and central Nigeria, with some held for weeks before families could pay ransom.
Experts emphasized to TruthNigeria that these attacks show signs of a political objectives, such as overthrow of the federal government.
Bandits Acting as Hybrid Insurgents: Experts
“The term bandit is misleading,” said Prof. Bitrus Adam, counter-insurgency analyst based in Kaduna.
“We are dealing with hybrid insurgents – criminals who are radicalized or co-opted into extremist networks. This hybridization is evident in Kwara,” Adam explained.
Military reports show attackers now use advanced communications, GPS-enabled logistics, and tactical ambush techniques previously exclusive to insurgent cells.
Villagers in Kwara are calling for better intelligence, faster military response, and civilian protection.
“We don’t know where our women and children are,” said Basambo Oladimeji, community leader in Oro Ago.
“We can’t sleep. We can’t eat. We can’t go to places of business. All we can do is pray and hope someone comes to rescue them,” Oladimeji told TruthNigeria.
Tracking the Pattern
TruthNigeria continues to monitor developments in Kwara and other states affected by these hybrid insurgent networks.
TruthNigeria Tracker: Kwara and Neighboring States – 2026
· Sunday, April 5 – Midde Belt: 43 killed; Northwest: 65; Northeast: 54
· Saturday, April 4 – Easter Massacre in Benue State: Jihadists kill 17
· Thursday, April 2 – Mari and Dina, Patigi counties, Kwara: Ambush; 5 villagers, 3 soldiers killed, 20+ women and children abducted
· Sunday, March 29 – Angwan Rukuba, Jos, Plateau: Mass shooting; 28+ residents killed, no abductees
· Sunday, March 29 – Fulani terrorists abduct 60 Christians in 8 weeks: No rescues, no arrests
Onibiyo Segun reports on terrorism and conflict for TruthNigeria.
