Bandits Kill Hotelier in Kwara Community

Armed bandits on Wednesday stormed Oro Ago community in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing a prominent hotelier.

The victim, identified as Chief Oladepo Aina, Baape of Iyatedo and Chief Executive Officer of Kebe Hotel, was attacked at his residence and business premises around 4 p.m., shortly after returning from Omu-Aran.

According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen attempted to abduct Chief Aina while he was seated at the front of his hotel. However, when he resisted, they opened fire, killing him on the spot.
“They attempted to kidnap him where he sat down at the front of his hotel but he resisted them, and he was then shot by the bandits,” a source told reporters.

While some residents claimed that others were abducted during the attack, Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, dismissed those reports.
“Nobody was kidnapped, but one hotelier was killed during the attack on the community,”

The killing has triggered fresh tension in Oro Ago, where residents have continued to lament the growing wave of insecurity despite the presence of security operatives in the region. Community members say the latest incident underscores their fears that bandits are becoming more emboldened in their operations.

In a related development, one person was reportedly abducted in Babanla community, also in Kwara State, on Wednesday. The two incidents have fueled renewed concerns over the safety of rural dwellers in the state.

It will be recalled that the wife of the traditional ruler of Babanla is currently under interrogation by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja, over alleged involvement in bandit activities in the area a development that has further unsettled residents.