From Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Suspected kidnappers have killed one person and abducted at least 13 others in a series of attacks on communities and highways in Kogi State, according to eyewitnesses and local security sources.The incidents reportedly occurred between Wednesday and early Thursday in parts of Kogi East, including Idah and Ofu Local Government Areas.
An eyewitness said traders travelling from Kogi East to Obolo-Afor Market in Enugu State were attacked at Egabada in Idah Local Government Area early Thursday. The assailants allegedly intercepted a vehicle conveying the traders and forced several occupants, including the driver, conductor and a female passenger, into a nearby forest. In a separate incident on Wednesday, gunmen reportedly attacked Okabo community in Ofu Local Government Area, where one person was shot dead while two others, including a minor, were abducted.
Residents also reported that armed men blocked the Itobe–Anyigba road between Ogbakpedo and Okabo, stopping two commercial vehicles and taking passengers into the bush. Witnesses said the attackers later released two pregnant women but fled with eight other victims.The Kogi East Neighbourhood Watch said the recent wave of kidnappings in the area had become frequent and called for additional security support to rescue victims and patrol surrounding forests.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kogi State Police Command had not issued an official statement. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the Chairman of Yagba West Local Government Area, Tosin Olokun, has imposed an indefinite dusk-to-dawn curfew across communities in the council area following rising security concerns.
