Unknown suspected terrorists abducted a housewife and her five-month-old baby on Friday, in Edu, Kwara state.
The community located approximately 10 kilometres from the Kwara State National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Yikpata, a site previously deemed vulnerable to armed group activity.
According to an audio recording obtained by SaharaReporters, the abductors have already contacted the victims’ family and are engaging in ransom negotiations.
The woman, identified as a local trader, was reportedly seized while travelling within Kwara State. Since her abduction, her family has been in communication with the kidnappers, who have made a ₦20 million ransom demand for her release.
In the audio obtained by the news outlet, one of the suspected kidnappers was heard attempting to speak in Yoruba while negotiating with family members, a detail that underscores both the local impact and internal communication efforts by the attackers.
This latest kidnapping incident adds to a worrying trend of terror-related abductions and security breaches in Kwara State. Residents across several local government areas have reported sporadic raids, disappearances, and violent incursions by criminal groups over the past months.
In previous months, multiple abductions, including of traditional rulers, ministry workers, and civilians, have been documented, often with kidnappers demanding significant sums for the victims’ release.
Security concerns in the region have also prompted authorities to relocate the NYSC orientation camp from its permanent site in Yikpata to Ilorin Polytechnic due to escalating threats, as previously reported.
Since the abduction, the family of the kidnapped woman has remained in contact with the suspects, hoping for a peaceful resolution. Discussions in the recording indicate the kidnappers have set a deadline tied to their ransom demand, though the exact timeline has not been publicly confirmed.
Local residents have expressed alarm at the brazen nature of the attack, highlighting how easily armed groups can strike even near areas previously considered somewhat secure, like the vicinity of an NYSC camp. Security analysts say these incidents reflect broader challenges facing the state and neighbouring regions, where abductors exploit dense forests and weak enforcement to operate with relative impunity.
Community leaders and civil society advocates have called on the Kwara State Government and federal authorities to intensify security operations and improve protection for vulnerable rural areas. Many argue that without more robust intervention, terror-linked kidnappings and ransom-driven abductions will continue unabated.
Meanwhile, families of victims like the kidnapped housewife and her infant face excruciating pressure, both emotional and financial, amid uncertain timelines and deadly threats from their captors.
Officials from security agencies have yet to issue a detailed public statement on this specific abduction, although the Kwara State Police Command and other task forces are known to be actively engaged in anti-kidnapping operations across the state.
