A police officer was killed and a local market looted when about 200 armed bandits launched a broad daylight attack on Babanla town in Kwara State on Friday, August 8, 2025.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the town around 1:00 p.m. on motorcycles. They first targeted the Babanla Police Station, where Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Adejumo Wasiu, attached to ACPOL Offa, was shot dead. His AK-47 rifle was taken by the bandits.
According to police sources, although the station was ransacked, no other weapons were stolen, as all other arms were secured and under charging.
After the attack on the police station, the bandits moved to the town market, where they carted away large amounts of food items and goods.
A swift response by a joint team of the military, police, vigilantes, and local hunters helped to repel the attackers and restore order.
At the time of reporting, no civilian deaths had been confirmed, and search efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing bandits.
This incident adds to the growing insecurity in some parts of the North-Central region, where communities have suffered repeated attacks from armed groups.