Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted the wife and daughter of Alhaji Muhammad Swasun, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman for Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The attack occurred late Sunday night at the Sakpefu area of Patigi, when a five-man armed gang stormed the chairman’s residence.
The assailants reportedly scaled the fence and began shooting sporadically to create panic before breaking into the house.
The victims have been identified as Hajiya Fatima, the chairman’s wife, and Amina, his daughter.
Eyewitnesses said the gunmen forced their way into one of the rooms in the compound, seized the two women, and whisked them away at gunpoint to an unknown location.
A senior member of the APC state executive council, who spoke under condition of anonymity, confirmed the incident.
“It’s true that our chairman’s wife and daughter in Patigi were kidnapped last night. I spoke with him this morning.
He said he was just lucky not to be kidnapped by the bandits, who jumped over his fence into the compound and started shooting sporadically into the air.”
“He said they entered into one of the rooms where they found his wife and daughter and took them away, shooting into the air,”
he added solemnly.
According to sources, the gunmen operated for several minutes before fleeing with the victims.
“The bandits abducted his wife, Hajiya Fatima, and his daughter, Amina, and took them to an unknown destination,” another APC member stated.
The incident has heightened fears across Patigi and other parts of Kwara North, which have seen a disturbing rise in kidnapping cases in recent months.
Residents have repeatedly urged government and security agencies to intensify efforts in combating the growing insecurity in the region.
When contacted, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adekimi Ojo, said he had not yet been briefed on the abduction.
“I’m yet to be informed,” he told reporters.
