Pastor £scapes ∆bduction By Bandits In Kogi Community, Woman Accompanying Him M!ssing
Pastor Escapes Abduction By Bandits In Kogi Community, Woman Accompanying Him Missing
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday, June 13, 2026, when heavily armed bandits attacked the victims in the community.
Apastor narrowly escaped an abduction attempt by armed bandits terrorising Odole, Odo-Eri community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, while a woman who was reportedly with him remains missing.
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday, June 13, 2026, when heavily armed bandits attacked the victims in the community.
A local news platform, Egbe Mekun Parrot, reports that the assailants attempted to abduct the pastor, but he managed to escape during the attack under circumstances that could not be immediately ascertained.
However, a woman who was reportedly accompanying him at the time of the incident remains unaccounted for.
The latest incident has created fears over the worsening security situation in parts of Yagba West, where residents have repeatedly complained about the activities of armed bandits and kidnappers.
When contacted by SaharaReporters for comment, the Kogi State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza, requested time to verify the matter and promised to respond. However, as of the time of filing this report, she had yet to provide a response.
On Saturday, the Kogi State government announced a ban on commercial motorcycle operations in several communities, closure of markets, restrictions on fuel sales and a statewide prohibition on movement along state-owned roads after 7pm across parts of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.
The measures, which took effect imediately, were announced by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo.
Fanwo said the development followed significant gains recorded by security agencies in ongoing operations against armed groups operating in the Bunu axis.
According to Fanwo, the latest directives followed a security assessment conducted after a recent attack on Iluke community, which authorities said was repelled by security forces.
Fanwo stated that intelligence reports indicated that several attackers had been killed during military operations, while others sustained injuries and remained trapped in forest areas where clearance operations were ongoing.
To prevent the suspected criminals from accessing supplies, the state government said it had approved an immediate ban on the use of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada, in designated hinterland routes across Bunu District.
The affected areas include the Idoyi Bunu–Illah Bunu–Iluke Bunu–Kiri corridor, as well as routes linking Iluke Bunu to Odai Bunu, Igbo Bunu, Ilogun Bunu, Olle Bunu, Ayede Bunu, Oke-Ofin Bunu and Edumo Bunu.
The restrictions also cover the Ayede Bunu–Aherin–Eshi–Ighun Bunu corridor and other hinterland routes within the district.
The government alleged that intelligence gathered by security agencies showed that motorcycles were being used to transport food, water, medicines and other supplies to armed groups hiding in forest locations.
It further claimed that some criminal elements had used motorcycles to gather intelligence on communities before carrying out attacks.
Authorities warned that any motorcycle operator caught transporting passengers, goods or supplies within the affected routes would be arrested and prosecuted under the provisions of the Kogi State Anti-Terrorism Law.
The state government directed the Motorcycle Operators Association of Nigeria (MOAN) to immediately notify its members of the new restrictions.
In another measure, Fanwo said that all markets located along the affected corridors have been ordered shut until further notice, while mobile medicine vendors have been directed to suspend the transportation and sale of drugs on motorcycles within the affected areas.
