Terrorists stormed Eruku town in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday, forcing residents and travelers to flee into nearby bushes for safety.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers arrived in large numbers, shooting sporadically and causing panic across the community. “We ran into the bush when we heard gunshots. Everyone was terrified,” one resident told reporters.

Travelers on the busy Ilorin–Lokoja highway were caught in the chaos, abandoning vehicles to escape. Local sources confirmed that shops and homes were deserted as gunfire echoed through the town.

Security operatives later arrived, but residents said the attackers had already melted into the surrounding forests. Kwara has faced rising insecurity in recent months, with Nigeria Security Tracker documenting increased incidents of banditry and terrorism in the north‑central region.

The Kwara State Government condemned the attack, urging calm and assuring residents that security agencies were intensifying patrols. Officials said reinforcements had been deployed to restore order.

Community leaders appealed for stronger protection, warning that Eruku’s location along a major highway makes it vulnerable to repeated assaults. “We cannot continue to live in fear. The government must act decisively,” one leader said.

The attacks are causing anxiety on the growing spread of terrorism beyond Nigeria’s northeast. The Institute for Security Studies has warned that bandit groups are expanding operations in north‑central states, exploiting weak intelligence to potentially reach into the south.

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