Gunmen abduct mother, three children, five others in Kogi

Gunmen on Friday abducted nine persons, including a woman and her three children, in Inele-Ugoh, a village in Igah Ikeje community, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Friday when more than 40 armed men stormed the community.

The woman and her three children were said to be on their way to another community for a burial when the gunmen intercepted them and took them into the forest.

Five other victims were reportedly abducted from their farms during the attack.

An eyewitness said the number of the attackers and the weapons they carried scared local vigilante members from confronting them.

Following the attack, the community reportedly sent distress calls to troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army stationed at a checkpoint within the area.

However, the soldiers arrived after the gunmen had already fled into the forest.

Although troops and local vigilantes have begun combing the surrounding forests in search of the victims, residents expressed fears that without aerial surveillance, the abductors might not be easily located.

A community police source said the criminal group operates in large numbers and frequently relocates their captives.

“These bandits move in large groups, sometimes up to 200, and often split into smaller units. They do not stay in one location but keep moving their captives from one place to another.

“Ground troops alone may not succeed without aerial support. Drones or police helicopters from Lokoja are needed to flush them out. We will not enjoy Christmas if these criminals remain in our forests,” the source said.

Members of the Kogi East Neighbourhood Watch also reported that kidnappers have intensified their activities in Olamaboro communities in recent times.

“The gunmen are clearly infiltrating the area from neighbouring states. They operate in large numbers and are heavily armed,” a member of the group said.

Another resident described the attackers as audacious and desperate, operating both day and night.

“We need more security deployment and aerial surveillance by both the state and federal governments to curb the menace of these criminals,” the resident added.

Efforts to reach the Kogi State Police Command for confirmation were unsuccessful, as calls to the command’s spokesperson were not answered as of the time of filing this report.