Banditry in Kwara’s Lata Nna community, Patigi Local Government Area, has forced 95 percent of residents to flee after two years of killings, kidnappings, and farm invasions that destroyed livelihoods in the farming settlement.
Community leaders, women, and religious figures have written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, appealing for immediate security intervention and warning that continued government inaction could wipe out the remaining population of the agrarian community.
The letter, signed by Tauheed Desco, secretary of the Lata Nna Youth Association, was addressed to the president and obtained by The Punch in Ilorin on Sunday. It accused the federal government of failing to halt repeated attacks that had turned the settlement’s only access road into a death trap.
“With a heavy heart and a deep sense of urgency, we write on behalf of the good people of Lata Nna to cry out for help,” the letter read. “We are under siege.
Our lives, our livelihood, and our very existence are being threatened daily by armed bandits.
As gathered by Westtrybe, the community’s troubles escalated sharply over a series of incidents spanning August 2025 to this month. In August last year, armed bandits overpowered local hunters in a surrounding forest, killing 65 of them.
Only 40 bodies were recovered for burial. The remaining victims were allegedly taken by the bandits, who wielded AK-47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons.
This year’s attacks, according to the letter, began on April 15, when bandits killed farmer Allassan Ndaba while he was on his way to his farm. The letter described him as a hardworking man whose only offense was providing for his family.
On June 13, four heavily armed bandits riding two motorcycles entered Lata Nna in broad daylight. They moved freely across the village demanding petrol, recharge cards, and other supplies.
The community noted that “the ease with which the gunmen operated demonstrated the absence of security personnel.
June 26 marked a critical turn. Bandits blocked the community’s only road, severing access to hospitals, markets, and neighboring towns. Two residents returning home that day were shot dead after encountering the gunmen at the roadblock.
The following day, June 27, villagers gathering leaves behind the settlement were robbed of their money and mobile phones at gunpoint.
On July 10, armed men stormed the village again in broad daylight, moving from house to house to steal food items, cash, and mobile phones. They also broke into shops and carted away four motorcycles valued at approximately 1.
6 million naira each. Five days later, on July 15, a point-of-sale operator was robbed at gunpoint shortly after withdrawing cash from a bank.
“We can no longer go to our farms. We can no longer go to the market. We can no longer sleep with our eyes closed. Our only road is a death trap. Our community is bleeding,” the letter stated.
Village Head Alhaji Mohammed Lata confirmed the scale of the displacement in a video obtained by The Punch on Saturday. “About 95 per cent of our people have abandoned their homes,” he disclosed.
“Many now sleep in neighboring communities and in the bush because they are afraid of returning home.
Alhaji Mohammed Lata also pointed to the absence of mobile telecommunications services, noting that poor network coverage made it nearly impossible for residents to call for help during attacks.
He further identified the lack of a permanent security post and a functional healthcare facility as factors that emboldened the bandits and left injured victims without medical attention.
Women featured in the video recounted how insecurity had destroyed family life. One woman said she had become the only occupant of her compound. Other residents said those who remained no longer slept in their homes, preferring to spend nights in neighboring settlements.
The chief imam of Lata Nna also appealed for urgent government intervention, warning that further inaction could expose the remaining residents to worse attacks.
Community leaders urged Tinubu to deploy security personnel immediately, secure the access road, and launch sustained military operations to flush out bandits from nearby forests. They also demanded justice for the families of Ndaba and the two residents killed on June 26, plus relief materials for displaced families and a permanent healthcare facility.
“Mr. President, we voted for hope and security. Please do not let Lata Nna be wiped off the map,” the letter added.
Kwara State Commissioner for Communications Bolanle Olukoju did not answer telephone calls and had not responded to text messages sent to her as of the time The Punch filed its report.
