The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed a deadly attack on four communities in Akure North Local Government Area by suspected bandits, with at least 14 bodies recovered so far.

Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, who spoke on Monday, disclosed that officers had been deployed to the affected areas to restore order and track down the assailants.

“The matter was reported on Saturday that Aba Pastor community was attacked. Immediately, the command took action to restore normalcy and apprehend the perpetrators,” she said.

Reports indicate that the bandits stormed the villages—Aba Alajido, Aba Sunday, Aba Pastor, and Ademekun—in the early hours of Saturday, unleashing terror on residents.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the assailants, armed with sophisticated weapons, shot indiscriminately, killing several people and forcing many to flee into the bush.

A security source confirmed that search operations were still ongoing, with more casualties feared.

“So far, about 14 bodies have been recovered, but the search continues,” the source said.

However, some residents insisted that the death toll was much higher. A local, identified as Sunday, alleged that over 40 people were killed in the attack, which he said had started earlier in the week but peaked on Friday night.

“They struck in the middle of the night when people were asleep. They shot at anyone they saw. Many ran into the bush, while several others were unlucky. The security operatives have recovered some corpses, but many are still missing,” he said.

The Regent of Ademekun Community, Princess Adelowo Adekemisola, also confirmed the attack, stating that 14 people were killed in her village.

She decried the continuous assaults by suspected herdsmen, whom she accused of infiltrating her community from the Edo-Ondo boundary.

“For six years, we have been battling this crisis. These attackers keep coming through the forests to wreak havoc,” she lamented at a town hall meeting with cocoa farmers in Akure.

She called on the state government and security agencies to take decisive action to prevent further bloodshed and ensure the safety of residents in the troubled communities.