Kidnappers on the prowl in Kogi, amputate victims’ limbs

The spate of kidnapping across the 21 local governments in Kogi State, between April 26 and May 20, has put the state under focus in recent times.

A record of reported incidents in various communities within 25 days shows that over 28 persons were abducted, excluding those reportedly kidnapped in three buses, whose number could not be established.

The nightmares caused by the increasing kidnapping incidents within three weeks, to the residents, travellers and motorists alike, are better imagined than experienced.

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To worsen the situation, the frightening dimension of cutting the hands of those abducted by the perpetrators has been fuelling speculation in the confluence area that there is something sinister in the offing.

In the course of this ugly development, several people have lost their loved ones, lives, property, and their hard-earned incomes on the roads at various communities in the state to the activities of the kidnappers.

Protests have also greeted this latest rise in kidnapping incidents in some communities at Kabba-Bunu, Yagba and Lokoja local governments.

At Odo -Ape community, gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on 21st May forcibly abducted a 76-year-old retired Major Josiah Ajayi from his residence at gun point.

The armed men reportedly invaded his house around 11.30pm with fire power and took away the ex-military officer who was one time chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kabba/ Ijumu Local Government chapter to unknown destination.

On Tuesday, 20th May 2025, armed men suspected to be kidnappers reportedly abducted four persons from Okoloke community, in Yagba West Local Government Area of the state. The abductees included a community leader, Ezekiel Durojaiye, who was a retiree and respected community leader in nearby Okunran village in Ofoloke.

The latest attack brought the number of abducted persons in the community to eight within seven days.

Earlier, the traditional ruler of the Ofoloke community, 91-year-old HRH Dada James Ogunyanda, was abducted from his palace penultimate Thursday around 2am.

His abductors had demanded a ransom of N100 million, which was negotiated down to N50m.

Three days after, three persons, suspected to be hunters/vigilantes, were killed in an encounter with gunmen in the community.

The latest incident reportedly happened in the early hours of Tuesday when armed men in their numbers stormed the area and abducted four persons, including a community leader.

“The armed men again invaded our community and went straight to the residence of Ezekiel Durojaiye, a community leader in nearby Okunran village in Ofoloke community,” James Ogundele, a resident of the community, said.

Our reporter gathered on Wednesday morning that people had been leaving the community in droves due to the attacks.

Also, on Saturday, May 17, suspected kidnappers reportedly abducted six market women while returning home from a local Ejule market in Ofu Local Government Area around 5.30pm, along Ejule-Agojeju-Ugbamaka road when their vehicle ran into the barricade of the hoodlums.

Among the victims were wives, sisters and aunties from Ugbamaka and neighbouring communities in that axis of the state.

The kidnapping episode at Ofoloke community is not a one-off incident. Before now, the hoodlums had been operating on roads across the three senatorial districts, targeting passengers on commercial buses. Travelers by bus rather than car have been vulnerable to their activities, with several accounts related.

On 6th May, armed men also struck at Ajegwu-Ojuwo-Ajengo village, along Ajaokuta-Itobe-Anyigba road in Ofu LGA and whisked passengers, including the driver of an 18-seater bus to their hideout in the forest.

The bus, with registration number LAM 979 LG, was said to be conveying passengers from Abuja to Olamaboro  LGA in the state, when it ran into the ambush of the suspected kidnappers around 5pm.

Equally, on 4th May, two Toyota buses full of passengers were reported to have been intercepted along Obajana-Oshokoshoko-Kabba road.

A security report noted later that some of the victims were rescued in the forest, while efforts were intensified to free others trapped in their abductors’ camp.

On the same Saturday, 4th May, Kola Sunday, an SS3 student of United Comprehensive College, Odo-Ere, the headquarters of Yagba West LGA, was shot dead by suspected kidnappers.

The 17-year-old Sunday and his two other siblings were said to have gone to gather wood for their parents in a nearby farm in the community when their assailants shot them, while trying to evade kidnapping.

“Suspected kidnappers shot three of our young boys on the farm on Saturday. Unfortunately, the bullet hit the head of one of them. He fell down and died in the process before help could reach him. This promising boy died three days before commencing writing his WAEC examination on Monday, 6th. It’s very sad indeed.

“The two survivors came home with gun wounds to alert the community of the encounter, which ignited emotion in the whole community,” said a victim’s family member, who spoke to Daily Trust on condition of anonymity.

On Monday, April 25, armed men suspected to be kidnappers reportedly attacked Abuge village in Kakanda community in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing one person, injuring two, and abducting not less than five others in the process.

The kidnappers, who were said to have invaded the community in the daytime, riding on motorcycles and wielding weapons, reportedly demanded N150 million ransom from the victims.

Three other persons in the adjoining villages were reported to have been invaded three days to the invasion of Abuge village and two persons were abducted in the attack.

“Armed men invaded Abuge town, killed one person and abducted not less than five people. Several others were injured in the attack; some were drowned in a nearby river while trying to escape,” said Mohammed Abubakar, a resident of the community.

Amputation of limbs

A dangerous dimension is also unfolding in the Yagba West LGA in the activities of these hoodlums, as they reportedly shun ransom for the cutting of hands.

Armed men suspected to be kidnappers reportedly cut off the hands of three of their victims shortly after their abduction.

The latest victim, one Mr Lanlege Adewale, a native of Ogbe, a neighbouring town of Egbe in Yagba community, was said to have been abducted on Saturday, April 26th and had his hand chopped off by his abductors, without demanding ransom.

Two other persons, a driver and a yet to be identified victim, were reportedly lying critically ill in a hospital at Egbe where they are receiving treatment over the same treatment.

Adewale and four others were abducted when their car was intercepted in an ambush between Ogbe and Ikoro in the Yagba community in Kogi State on their way to Ekiti and Kwara states.

“They were whisked into the forest by standby motorcycle riders shortly after they fell into the hands of their abductors.

“The armed men, wearing military uniforms and wielding AK-47 rifles, seized five of them. Three of them were women. They took them to a bush that links Kogi with Ekiti and Kwara states,” Mr Olaoye Adeola, a native of Ogbe, said.

A family member who spoke under cover about the incident said Adewale was released to go without demanding a ransom from him, after cutting his hand off in the bush.

Police, Kogi govt react

The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, said the command is not resting on its oars in ensuring a peaceful society where people move freely, with thriving business activities.

He said their ongoing onslaught against kidnapping, armed banditry, and other heinous crimes in the state is yielding positive results.

CP Dantawaye said as of Tuesday, 13th May, the command had arrested 239 suspects, including 162 suspects in kidnapping, armed robbery and unlawful possession of firearms.

He said, “66 armed robbers, 75 kidnappers, 21 unlawful possession of firearms were arrested as of 13th May 2025. To ensure that the fight against kidnapping, armed banditry and other violent crimes in the state succeeds, we have commenced training of our personnel to enhance their mental and operational capacity for better and efficient service delivery in the state.

“We have also adopted comprehensive crime prevention and control strategies in recent times through intensive patrol along the major highways, and raids of identified criminal hideouts, black spots and flash points, and conducting aggressive stop-and-search as well as massive deployment of well-trained, equipped, and motivated officers geared towards ridding Kogi State of all forms of crimes and criminality.”

He added that the inspector general of police had deployed choppers to aid the command’s operation as onslaught on the criminals is being intensified.

However, he said security is an all-stakeholders’ affair, soliciting more cooperation from the movers of the public to provide credible and timely information to the police for immediate action.

The Kogi State police command said several kidnap victims had been rescued from their abductors in various ongoing onslaughts against criminals across the state.

According to the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP William Aya, the operatives of the command, in collaboration with the army and Fulani vigilantes, rescued three kidnap victims at Ankomi forest in Lokoja LGA.

Meanwhile, the  Kogi State Government has reiterated its unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of lives and property across the state.

The state  Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has taken concrete steps to deal decisively with flashpoints of insecurity.

While the government said the state is not under siege and will not be, it acknowledged security concerns in parts of Yagba land, particularly in Yagba West.

He added that the situation is being carefully and silently being  managed to avoid escalation.

“We are managing the tinny line between urgency and the need to tread softly in order not to compound the situation. Government is on top of the matter, and our interventions are guided, targeted, and strategic,” he said.

A retired top military officer who wants to be identified as Col. Bashir (rtd) said the gunmen had held the state by its jugular because the right approach or strategy to curb the excesses of the criminals terrorising the state had not been adopted.

“The kidnappers are from within and outside the state and country. The foreign ones who came from neighbouring and some failed states (countries), pretending to be cattle rearers, are working in agreement with locals in the business; who are abandoned political thugs.

“Every community in the state knows those living in their backyards, in their forest. Unfortunately, they are not reporting to the appropriate authorities due to religious, ethnic, regional and political sentiments.

“Until we put our biases down and face the looming disaster, blood will continue to flow in our houses, roads and communities,” he warned.