Bandits have, again, struck Edu Local Council of Kwara State, killing one and kidnapping stepbrothers in the process. The deadly visitors had stormed Gbale community at about 2:00 a.m. to wreak havoc, but were repelled by vigilant local hunters and vigilantes, who engaged them in a gun duel. Sensing the superior firepower of the villagers, the hoodlums were said to have left the area in a hurry and advanced to Bishewa settlement, where they successfully launched regrettable havoc. A dependable source reported that they arrived at approximately 3:00 a.m. and went to a house occupied by two stepbrothers. Eyewitnesses said the brothers were fast asleep when the assailants gained entry. “They killed Ndako, the elder brother, and took the younger one, Audu, away,” the source explained. Another source stated that the vigilantes in Edu were able to repel the attackers not because they were awake, but because “they had superior ammunition, that were why they left.” In a related development, the member representing Birnin Kebbi, Kalgo and Bunza Federal Constituency of Kebbi State in the House of Representatives, Ibrahim Mohammed, has urged the Federal Government to strengthen rural policing and upgrade security infrastructure across the state and other parts of the North-West to address the worsening insecurity in rural communities. In a motion of urgent national importance, Mohammed expressed deep concern over incessant attacks by bandits, cattle rustlers, and kidnappers that have forced many farmers to abandon their farmlands and led to the closure of schools in affected areas. “The level of insecurity in Kebbi’s rural areas has become alarming. Families are living in fear, and this situation poses a serious threat to food security and economic stability,” he said. The lawmaker called on the Federal Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Police Force to establish and upgrade police outposts in identified flashpoints, while ensuring that such facilities are adequately equipped with patrol vehicles, surveillance gadgets, and communication tools to enable effective response to distress calls. Mohammed appealed to the Federal Ministries of Finance, Budget and National Planning to prioritise funding for rural security projects in the 2026 Appropriation Bill. The legislator cited Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution—which places the protection and welfare of citizens as the primary duty of government. “Our rural areas must not continue to suffer neglect in terms of security infrastructure. A secure countryside means a stable food system and stronger communities,” he emphasised. The House, he proposed, should mandate its Committees on National Security and Intelligence, Police Affairs, and Army to assess existing security gaps in rural areas, and recommend appropriate policy and budgetary interventions. EQUALLY, a concerned academic from Kwara, Adelodun, has written to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, seeking his urgent attention and intervention in the ravaging insecurity currently consuming the south and northern senatorial districts of the state. In his letter titled: Request for urgent security intervention in Kwara State, Adelodun said: “In recent days, we have been thrown into mourning over the tragic killing of 15 people in Oke-Ode, Ifelodun Local Government Area. “Barely two days after this incident, a police officer was abducted at Lade town in Patigi Local Government Area. These heartbreaking developments are part of a recurring pattern of bandit attacks, kidnappings, and violence that have rendered Kwara South and parts of Kwara North unsafe for residents. “These killings and kidnappings have been going on in Kwara South, especially for more than a year now, but they have hardly been reported. Sadly, the silence has been partly because the affected areas largely belong to one section of the state, not the Central region, hence little attention has been given to the plight of our people. “This neglect has emboldened criminal elements and deepened the suffering of innocent communities. “Kwara South, in particular, has been so severely affected that many communities are on the verge of extinction as families continue to flee for safety.”