GUNMEN ABDUCT NINE, INCLUDING WOMAN, THREE CHILDREN, IN KOGI COMMUNITY
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Gunmen on Friday abducted nine persons, including a woman and her three children, during a coordinated attack on Inele-Ugoh village in the Igah Ikeje community, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The incident occurred in the early hours of the day when more than 40 heavily armed men reportedly stormed the community, spreading fear and forcing residents to flee for safety.
According to eyewitness accounts, the woman and her three children were intercepted by the assailants while travelling to a neighbouring community to attend a burial. They were subsequently taken into the surrounding forest. Five other victims were reportedly abducted from their farms during the same attack.
An eyewitness said the large number of attackers and the sophisticated weapons they carried prevented local vigilante operatives from confronting them.
Following the incident, the community reportedly placed distress calls to troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army stationed at a nearby checkpoint. However, the soldiers arrived after the gunmen had escaped into the forest.
Although troops and local vigilante groups have commenced search operations in the surrounding forests, residents expressed concern that the absence of aerial surveillance could hinder rescue efforts.
A community police source disclosed that the criminal group operates in large numbers and frequently relocates their captives. “These bandits move in large groups, sometimes up to 200, and often split into smaller units. They do not stay in one location but keep moving their captives. Ground troops alone may not succeed without aerial support. Drones or police helicopters from Lokoja are needed to flush them out,” the source said.
Members of the Kogi East Neighbourhood Watch also confirmed an upsurge in kidnapping incidents across Olamaboro communities, alleging that the gunmen infiltrate the area from neighbouring states and are heavily armed.
Another resident described the attackers as audacious and desperate, operating both day and night, and called on both the state and federal governments to deploy more security personnel and provide aerial surveillance to curb the growing insecurity.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Kogi State Police Command were unsuccessful, as calls to the command’s spokesperson were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
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