Gunmen ∆bduct nine including m0urners in  Kogi att∆ck

Gunmen abduct nine including mourners in  Kogi attack

Four mourners, comprising a mother and her three children, were among the nine persons allegedly kidnapped by gunmen at Inele-Ugoh in Igah Ikeje community of Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The incident took place in the early hours of Friday when gunmen numbering over 40 stormed the community.

The woman and her three children were said to be heading to another community for a burial when the gunmen overran them, captured them, and took them into the forest.

Five other victims were reportedly abducted on their farms by the gunmen.

An eyewitness said the population of the gunmen and the weapons they carried even scared the vigilante group from confronting the gunmen.

The community quickly sent distress calls to troops of 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, who were located at a checkpoint within the community to help. But the soldiers came late, after the gunmen had disappeared into the forest.

Though the troops and local vigilante members are already combing the forests for the safety of the victims, members of the community said unless there was deployment of drones and police helicopter from Lokoja, the troops alone may not easily locate the location of the bandits.

A local community police said, “This group of bandits are going about in large numbers, they could be up to 200 and they share themselves into two groups. They don’t stay in one location, they keep moving their captives from one location to another. Troops can only succeed when there is support from the air space. So, a drone or the police helicopter is required to root out these criminals from our community. We will not enjoy Christmas if these criminals remain in our forests.”

Members of the **Kogi East Neighbourhood Watch (KENW)** have reported that kidnappers have concentrated their criminal activities in Olamaboro communities in recent times. “The gunmen are obviously infiltrating the locality from neighbouring states. The gunmen are operating in good numbers and are heavily armed.”

Another resident said, “These are bandits, they are very desperate and audacious, operating day and night. We need more deployment and air surveillance by the state and federal government to curtail the menace of these criminals.”

In a related development, bandits invaded Olle community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killed two, and abducted several people.

The Olle invasion was said to have taken place in the afternoon of 19 December 2025 along farm routes in the area.

It was learnt that the attackers struck residents on their way to their farms, killing at least two people during the assault. The exact number of abducted victims remains unclear as of the time of filing this report.

However, community sources confirmed that no fewer than 10 people from nearby community Taki have already been taken by the assailants.

The bandits are also said to be currently positioned along the Olle–Iluke road, raising fears of further attacks and abductions.

This incident and many others have heightened tensions, especially in the Bunu district of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, with residents fleeing their communities as many towns and villages have been deserted and now left freely for the bandits to operate.

A video clip of some children kidnapped in **ECWA** church Aiyetoro Kiri and other locations is being circulated on social media as the bandits are demanding huge amounts of money as ransom before they could release them.

Concerned Okun people are already soliciting donations from public-spirited individuals to secure the release of these children and some pregnant women in the hands of the bandits.

People are urging the Kogi State Government and relevant security agencies to be more proactive and intervene swiftly to prevent further loss of lives and restore safety to the communities under siege in Okun land.