Gunmen Abduct Health Worker, Wife in Fresh Attack on Kogi Community

By Noah Ocheni | Lokoja

Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted a community health worker and his wife during a midnight attack on Iluke community in the Bunu district of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The attackers reportedly stormed the Oke Bukun area of the community around 1 a.m. on Thursday and abducted the health worker, popularly known as “Dr. Ebi” (Omo Kemuna), alongside his wife.

Residents said the assailants escaped with the victims on motorcycles while firing gunshots sporadically into the air to scare residents as they fled the area.

The latest attack has heightened fear and tension in Iluke and neighbouring communities across Mopamuro and Ijumu local government areas, where residents reportedly woke up to news of the abduction in panic.

The Bunu district has witnessed repeated security breaches in recent months.

Residents recalled that on May 4, suspected armed kidnappers reportedly operated along the Iluke–Oferre road, shooting indiscriminately and forcing road users to flee.

During that incident, a commercial driver identified simply as Jacob was allegedly kidnapped after running into the gunmen on the road. Sources familiar with the case said the abductors later demanded a ransom of N50 million for his release.

In another earlier attack on April 16, gunmen reportedly abducted two wives, two children, and an aide to the traditional ruler of Odai community, identified as “Prof. Wonder.”

Sources said the kidnappers demanded N150 million ransom and allegedly killed two of the monarch’s children after delays in payment, sharing graphic images of the killings on social media.

The monarch was later said to have fallen ill and was hospitalised, while some abducted family members reportedly remain in captivity.

A community source disclosed that the abductors recently insisted the monarch must personally deliver the ransom or risk the lives of the remaining captives.

Efforts to obtain official reaction from the Kogi State Police Command were unsuccessful as of press time.

The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Afuzat Oyiza, reportedly said she would respond after making inquiries but had yet to provide an update at the time of filing this report.