No fewer than 27 people have been killed after bandits launched a fresh and deadly attack on several communities in Kogi State.
The coordinated assaults occurred on Saturday in Yagba West Local Government Area of the state.
According to Sahara Reporters, a military source described the assailants as “heavily armed” and equipped with sophisticated weapons.
“Bandits killed 27 people in Yagba West, Kogi State, just yesterday, and it was not reported. They invaded the area with heavy weapons,” the source revealed.
Kogi has in recent weeks witnessed a disturbing resurgence of violent attacks. On Friday, armed men stormed a family residence in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area, abducting a woman and her two children while shooting her husband as he tried to escape.
A member of the Kogi State Vigilante Service confirmed the incident, saying: “One Tokpe Gody at Bareke-Egbe in Yagba West was attacked by unknown gunmen in their family house at about 2 a.m. Friday. They abducted his wife and two children.”
Medical personnel at Egbe Hospital are reportedly battling to save the husband’s life. Meanwhile, the kidnappers have allegedly demanded a ₦100 million ransom for the release of the abducted mother and her children.
In a related incident, seven travellers were kidnapped along the Itobe–Anyigba highway in Ofu Local Government Area. The victims were ambushed in the Ojuwo-Olijo forest, a notorious hotspot for bandit operations.
Police reports indicate that one female passenger managed to escape the attack, offering a glimmer of hope amid the unfolding tragedy.
Security forces, including the military, police, and local vigilantes, have since been deployed to comb the forests, rescue the victims, and track down the assailants.
