Kogi: Bandits abduct three family members, demand N100m

…seven travellers abducted on Kogi highway

Armed men suspected to be bandits on Friday stormed a family residence in Isanlu in Yagba East local government area and abducted a woman and her two children while the husband who tried to escape was shot.

Tribune Online gathered that the husband, in an attempt to escape abduction, sustained gunshot injuries.

The attack, according to a member of Kogi State Vigilante agency, happened in Isanlu, headquarters of Yagba East local government in the state.

The source said, “one Tokpe Gody at Bareke-Egbe in Yagba West was attacked by unknown gunmen in their family house at about 2am Friday morning and abducted his wife and two children.”

While medical personnel in Egbe Hospital are trying to save the husband’s life, the kidnappers are said to be demanding a ransom of N100m from the family for the release of the wife and two children.

A Kogi Vigilante source who pleaded anonymity said, “One of us received calls from the kidnappers this morning, they used one private number to call us, they asked for N100 million before they will release the victims.”

The local security source hinted that the health condition of Tokpe in the hospital was very critical and might require to taken to Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Lokoja.

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In a related development, seven travellers were abducted along the Itobe–Anyigba highway in Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi State.

The victims were ambushed in the Ojuwo-Olijo forest, a known hotspot for criminal activities.

According to police reports, one female passenger managed to escape during the attack, providing a glimmer of hope amid the distressing situation.

The authorities have since mobilized security forces, including troops, police, and local vigilantes, to conduct bush combing operations aimed at rescuing the captives and tracking down the kidnappers.

As security forces intensify their efforts to locate the kidnapped individuals and apprehend the perpetrators, the community remains on high alert, hoping for a swift resolution to this distressing incident.

However, the Kogi State Command is yet to issue statements on the two kidnapped incidents as the Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ayah of the Command, could not be reached as of the time of filling this report.

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