A palpable sense of fear has gripped communities in Kwara State as a series of violent incidents and abductions have left residents feeling vulnerable and anxious.

Sources from Sahara Reporters indicate that two Chinese nationals, employed on the BUA road construction project near the Bode Saadu/Kaiama/Kosubosu road, were kidnapped by masked assailants during the early hours of December 1.

The gunmen unleashed a barrage of gunfire, maintaining the assault for several hours before taking the men to an undisclosed location.

This incident marks a troubling escalation in the region’s security situation. Merely days before, terrorists abducted six local farmers from the Lata community in the Patigi Local Government Area.

Witnesses described the attacks as meticulously executed and rapid, sparking widespread panic among villagers and prompting many to abandon their homes in fear.

In another alarming development, bandits reportedly chased laborers from a farm on Tuesday, stealing a seven-month-old Haojue motorcycle belonging to a local businessman.

The escalating violence across Kwara South and North has created a climate of fear, with residents claiming that terrorists now operate freely.

Farmers, in particular, are struggling to carry out their work safely, and some fear they may be forced to abandon their farmlands entirely if attacks continue.

Recent kidnappings follow similar incidents in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area, where armed men abducted a farmer barely a week after 38 worshippers of the Christ Apostolic Church which were released by the federal government.

As the attacks persist, residents are calling for urgent government action to restore security in the region. Many warn that without immediate intervention, Kwara communities may soon become uninhabitable.

Farming, local businesses, and the livelihoods of countless residents remain under serious threat, and fear continues to spread.