Police personnel allegedly fled their divisional headquarters after a concerted terrorist strike at midnight, according to a source within the Emir’s palace in Yashikira, Baruten Local Government Area, Kwara State.
According to the individual who talked with Sahara Reporters, the attackers then broke inside the police station and took AK-47 firearms that the policemen had reportedly left there.
The Kwara State Police Command’s official statement, which claimed that police officers successfully repulsed the attack on the divisional headquarters, is in conflict with the story.
The palace insider claimed in an interview with SaharaReporters on Tuesday night that the terrorists used heavy weapons to raid the neighborhood and drive out security personnel.
“Are the Nigerian police ready to fight bandits anyway?” the insider said. The police officers were forced to leave the police station as soon as they learned of their arrival.
“After the police left the police station, bandits broke in and stole all of the AK-47s.”
The source said that the cops at the station did not engage in armed resistance.
The informant went on, “Yes, they entered the police station and took away all their weapons because the police abandoned their posts.”
The accusation came after the Kwara State Police Command issued an official statement indicating that early on Sunday, May 24, 2026, suspected bandits attacked the Yashikira community.
The Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters and the Emir’s palace were both targets of the attack. The authorities claim that the terrorists kidnapped ten residents and torched a portion of the Emir’s residence on fire.
However, according to the command, the attack on the police station was repulsed by the on-duty policemen.
The police called the attack “cowardly and audacious” in a statement signed by SP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, the command’s spokeswoman.
According to the statement, “The armed criminals simultaneously attacked the Palace of the Emir of Yashikira and the Yashikira Police Divisional Headquarters at approximately 0200 hours in a coordinated and desperate assault.”
“However, police officers on duty successfully repelled the attack on the police station.”
The command stated that in order to free the kidnapped victims and apprehend the attackers, Commissioner of Police Adekimi Ojo has issued an order for a full-scale tactical operation involving security agencies.
It further stated that the Baruten Local Government Area’s vulnerable communities had seen an increase in security activities.
In order to restore public trust and save the kidnapped citizens, the missions involve intelligence collection and bush-combing.
The royal source, however, insisted that the attackers encountered little to no opposition at the police station.
