KEY POINTS

• Former PDP ward chairman Abubakar Sise was abducted from his home in Boriya, Kwara State, during a midnight attack.
• Gunmen fired multiple shots, confronted his son, and took only Sise before escaping into surrounding bush paths.
• It is the second kidnapping in the area in two months, prompting a search by local vigilantes and rising community anxiety.

A former ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State, Abubakar Sise, has been kidnapped by armed men who stormed his home in the Boriya community shortly after midnight on Thursday.

Sise, a trader and one of the better-known figures in Boriya–Shiya Ward in Baruten Local Government Area, was taken from his residence after the attackers fired several shots to scatter neighbours and force their way into the compound.

Channelstv reports that residents said the raid began around 12 am, when the men arrived quietly before unleashing rapid bursts of gunfire into the air. The shots echoed across the community, jolting people awake as the attackers moved straight towards the family compound. Within minutes, they had singled out their target.

According to several accounts, one of Sise’s sons unexpectedly walked into the incident after returning home late in the night. The gunmen confronted him immediately and demanded that he call his father. After the door was opened, they went in and seized only the older man. No one else in the household was harmed, and the encounter was brief, though terrifying for the family.

Second abduction in area raises concern as vigilantes begin search

By daybreak, empty bullet casings and a few live rounds were found scattered across the premises, confirming the scale of gunfire used to intimidate residents. Those living nearby said the entire episode lasted only a handful of minutes before the gunmen disappeared into the dark, heading towards bush paths that link surrounding communities.

Local vigilante operatives in Boriya were alerted immediately afterwards and have begun combing the area, hoping to trace the attackers before they move the victim deeper into the border fringes of the local government. Villagers say the terrain has made past rescue efforts difficult, as the communities lie close to remote corridors often exploited by criminal groups.

The latest incident has heightened anxiety across Baruten. It is the second abduction reported within two months. On 17 September, another businessman was kidnapped from his home in Shiya, a neighbouring community only a short distance away. Residents fear the pattern suggests organised groups are operating in the axis with increasing boldness.

As of the time this report was filed, the whereabouts of Alhaji Sabi Sise remained unknown, and there has been no indication of contact from the kidnappers. Families in the area are calling for stronger security presence, saying the frequency of attacks has left them worried about travelling at night or staying outdoors after late hours.