By Demola Akinyemi Ilorin
While the dust over the bloody attack in the Woro community is yet to settle, a member of Forests Guards has been killed in a fresh attack by bandits who invaded the Koro community in the Ekiti local government area of Kwara State, Sunday afternoon.
Vanguard reliably gathered that the heavily armed bandits, numbering about fifteen, invaded the community, shooting sporadically into the air, forcing residents to flee their homes in fear.
It was further gathered that the attackers, who stormed the community, were eventually intercepted at the nearby secondary school by coordinated members of Forest Guards and hunters who got wind of their presence.
Shooting ensued between the two groups, and one of the Forest Guards, identified as Samuel, was killed in the fracas.
One of the security members who pleaded not to be mentioned in print told Vanguard that Samuel’s remains have been taken to the mortuary in nearby Egbe Hospital in Kogi state.
“The incident happened around 1pm; the fully armed bandits, about fifteen of them, had entered the community through the forests, shooting sporadically into the air. They were at the nearby secondary school when groups of local hunters and forests Guards intercepted them.
“Shootings ensued, and one of the Forest Guards, identified as Samuel, was killed in the gun battle. His corpse has been deposited at the mortuary in Egbe Hospital.
“The bandits retreated into the thick forests when one of the forests Guards was killed by their bullets; none of them could be arrested,”said the security operative.
He, however, said tension has enveloped the Koro community as a result of the development, as more forest guards and local hunters have redeployed to the community, and taken strategic positions in the community,to ward off further attack.
Meanwhile, none of the several calls and messages sent to the state Spokesperson of Kwara State Police Command, Ejire Adetoun Adeyemi, for a response was replied to at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Koro community shares a boundary with Egbe town in the Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Vanguard, however, gathered that the state government has commenced IDP settlement in Kaiama, headquarters of the local government, for the victims who have been dispossessed of their homes.
Also Fifty soldiers, twenty-five police officers and twenty Forest Guards have so far been deployed to the Woro community by Sunday morning.
In a related development,Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Sunday led his counterparts from Kogi and Ekiti states, Alhaji Usman Ododo and Mr. Biodun Oyebamiji, to visit victims of the Woro terrorist attack that are receiving treatment in a hospital in Ilorin.
Also on the team was the member representing Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero/Ekiti Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Raheem Ajulo-Opin
The governors, who sympathised with the victims, prayed to God to grant them a quick recovery.
Speaking with journalists at Government House, Ilorin, the Ekiti State governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebamiji, who described the attack as unfortunate, commiserated with Governor AbdulRazaq and the people of Kwara State.
Governor Oyebamiji commended the federal and state governments for the swift response to the attack.
Governor Oyebamiji noted that the governors stand in solidarity with the people of Kwara state and prayed for the repose of the souls of the departed.
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