Bandits attack 5 vehicles, abduct passengers in Kogi

Bandits attacked motorists along the Ayere-Kabba highway in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing one person and abducting several passengers. Reports from the community indicated that the incident occurred around 5.pm on Sunday when the motorists ran into the ambush along the busy route.  As at press time, Daily Trust was unable to […]

Bandits attacked motorists along the Ayere-Kabba highway in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing one person and abducting several passengers.

Reports from the community indicated that the incident occurred around 5.pm on Sunday when the motorists ran into the ambush along the busy route.  As at press time, Daily Trust was unable to confirm the total number of persons taken into the bush.

This is coming at a time the Presidency said the country had recorded an 81 per cent reduction in terror-related deaths since 2015.

It attributed the decline to improved counter-insurgency operations and stronger collaboration between security agencies and affected communities.

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In a statement posted on its official X account on Sunday, the Presidency said more than 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year, while over 124,000 fighters and their dependents have surrendered to authorities.

It added that more than 2.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned home, with reconstruction efforts ongoing in previously affected communities under the Federal Government’s Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflict.

The victims of the latest attack in the North Central state were said to be travellers from Lagos moving through that axis of Kogi State, on their way to Abuja.

Locals said two buses with registration number; MAN 399XA and MAN 425XA, one other bus, and two cars were sighted at the scene of the incident at the Ayere axis, a boundary settlement towards Ondo State.

 

According to one of the victims, Kolawole Olawoye, who escaped with bullets wound, passengers in three vehicles, including occupants of a Camry car and Boxer, were all abducted in the attack.

“Four of us, including a lady in the car sustained gunshot injuries. We were travelling from Lagos to Abuja, but ran into the ambush of the terrorists at a place called Ayere in Kogi. I stopped, and quickly put my car on reverse mode.

“The hoodlums opened fire on the car, destroyed its water tank and the car come to an abrupt halt. We alighted from it and ran into the bush for cover, with bullet wounds”, said Olawoye.

He added that it was after a while that they came out of the bush and locals took them to the hospital. The injured persons said to be on admission at the General Hospital in Kabba area of the state were identified as Urajo Babangida, Leonard Amuze, Mercy Avine and Babangida.

A source said one person was confirmed dead shortly after he was admitted in the hospital due to severity of his injuries in the attack.

Locals expressed fears over the abducted passengers, saying several of them were whisked into the bush with various degrees of gunshot wounds.

Meanwhile efforts to confirm the incident from the Kogi State Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP William Aya, proved abortive as he did not respond to calls put through to him or the text message sent to him.

However, on resumption of duty recently, the new Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, promised to sustain the battle against banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery bedeviling the state.

“The police authorities will not tolerate any act of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, or other criminal activities anywhere in the state”, he said.

The state police boss emphasised on intelligence sharing, synergy among security agencies, and joint efforts to curb violent crimes in the state.

He said: “We will prioritise the security of the state by working in synergy with our sister agencies, critical stakeholders, and traditional rulers in communities to ensure the safety of the Kogi citizens.

 

Recent incidents

The Department of State Security Services (DSS) in a memo dated 20th October, 2025, said it had intercepted an Intel report of an imminent terrorists attack on Kogi and Ondo States.

Several stakeholders attributed the rise in the banditry activities in the past few weeks in the state, particularly the western district, sharing boarder with Ondo, Kwara, Ekiti, and Niger states to the reported planned attack.

Recent incidents showed that communities and link roads in four local government areas of Kabba/ Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba West and Yagba East in the district have witnessed increased bandits’ attack in the last two weeks .

On Saturday, November 1, 2025, bandits killed an elderly woman, identified as Mrs Elizabeth Olorunshola at Ilafin-Isanlu community in Yagba East LGA, injuring one other.

A man escaped with a gunshot wound from armed bandits’ attack around 9pm on November 2, 2025, while on transit along along Ijowa-Mopo Road in Isanlu Yagba East LGA.

On October 25, 2025, gunmen kidnapped four people along the Koro Road to Egbe in Yagba West Local Government Area that shares boarder with Kwara State.

Barely days after, a group of Yagba West residents were abducted on the Oja Egbe Market Day, while returning to Omi from Egbe.

On Friday, October 24, 2025, Mr. Sunday Ikuenayo (popularly known as SANCO), son of late High Chief Olugbe of Apaa Bunu was abducted by armed bandits from his farm. His abductors demanded a ransom of N50 million for his release.

 

A day before that, armed bandits opened fire at passengers in a commercial bus around 9pm on transit along Ijowa-Mopo Road at Isanlu community in Yagba East LG Area, injuring many of them.

Within these two weeks, a younger brother to a prominent business man in Yagba land, Jide Omokore and his wife were kidnapped in bandits’ attack at Idofin-Isanlu, in Yagba East Local Government Area

While reports noted that the kidnapped couple is still being held by their abductors, several persons in the area said many of the bandits’ attacks in the district were not reported.

Efforts made to speak to the spokesperson of the Kogi State government on the development were unsuccessful.

However, in the wake of the DSS warning of imminent attack on the state, the government assured citizens that it was working closely with the operatives, the Nigerian Army and police to ensure that any attack attempt is foiled.

“Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has made security of lives and property a top priority of his administration. Strategic security measures have been reinforced across the state, and surveillance has been intensified, especially around border communities.

“The government will protect the people at all costs. We will not allow criminals or terror groups to disrupt the peace and progress we have built. Kogi remains one of the safest states in Nigeria, and we intend to keep it that way,” he said in the statement signed by the commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo.

 

Security expert speaks

A security expert, who asked to be identified simply as Capt. Ahmed (rtd), advised the government to take the situation seriously.

“I hope the state government and those watching us are not taking the situation lightly.

“The DSS operatives raised alarm of imminent attack on the state recently, and a few weeks after, the activities of these hoodlums have heightened with grave danger.

“They are out to make good of their threat to destroy the state. The issue at stake is beyond the state government alone.

“Everybody has to be vigilant and feed security operatives and the government with information for immediate action. Roads, communities and farms are no longer safe.