A fresh wave of fear swept through Kogi State over the weekend as heavily armed gunmen kidnapped Rev. Fr. Wilfred Ezemba of St. Paul Parish, Agaliga-Efabo, in Olamaboro Local Government Area—underscoring a disturbing spike in abductions across the state.
Fr. Ezemba was ambushed on Saturday along the Imane–Ogugu Road, a notorious hotspot for highway kidnappings. Eyewitnesses said other unsuspecting commuters may have also been whisked away during the attack.
Three days on, the abductors have made no ransom demands, heightening anxiety among parishioners and residents. “We are devastated,” said a visibly shaken Fr. Michael, a colleague of the kidnapped priest. “But our faith is strong—we believe God will bring him back safely.”
Security agencies—including the police, army units, and Kogi East Neighborhood Watch—have launched a manhunt, scouring forests and backroads in a desperate bid to track down the gunmen.
The brazen abduction is the second major kidnapping in Olamaboro within a week. On September 7, lawyer A.B. Shaibu was abducted between Etieke and Okugoh. He was released only after his family reportedly paid a ransom.
The Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Idah Branch, has decried the escalating crisis. Branch Chairman James Michael Esq. warned that kidnappers are tightening their grip on Kogi East’s key transit routes, including Okura-Ojapata, Ochadamu-Itobe-Ajaokuta-Lokoja, and Ikeje-Aloma roads.
“We call on the government to take urgent, decisive action,” Michael said. “The frequency of these attacks is unacceptable and threatens the lives and livelihoods of innocent citizens.”
As of press time, Kogi State Police Command spokesperson SP Williams Ovye could not be reached for comment.
The spate of abductions has sparked renewed outrage among civil society groups and residents, who say worsening insecurity is crippling businesses, frightening travelers, and eroding trust in government assurances of safety.
