Gunmen suspected to be members of the Mahmuda group have attacked Karongi, a town in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State. The attackers killed a man and destroyed several homes in the early hours of Sunday.

According to reports, the armed men entered the community early Sunday morning. They killed one resident and set some houses on fire before fleeing.

It was said that the criminals attacked while local vigilante members were away. Some had traveled for a training program, while others had left the town to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir in different places.

From 6am to 11am, the attackers moved freely without being challenged. Later, a group of soldiers and local vigilantes from nearby towns arrived and forced the attackers to leave.

While the police said they were unaware of the incident, the Nigerian Army confirmed that the attack had taken place.

The Emir of Yashikira, Umoru Sariki, who oversees the area, also confirmed the situation. He said one person lost his life and many houses were destroyed by fire.

The Emir explained that the bandits came at about 6am on Sunday and used the absence of local security to carry out their attack. He said the community had to call for help from nearby towns to fight back.

He appealed to the Federal Government and the Nigerian Army to set up a security base in Karongi or nearby areas to protect lives and property.

Meanwhile, Kwara State Police spokesperson Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi said she had not received any reports about the incident.

On the other hand, the spokesperson for the 22 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Ilorin, Lt. Stephen Nwankwo, confirmed the attack on Monday.

Lt. Nwankwo said one vigilante member died and some makeshift homes were burnt. He added that soldiers were sent to the village after being alerted about the situation.

He explained that the person who was killed had helped escort the soldiers to the town during the operation.