Gunmen have again struck in Kogi State, abducting three members of a family in Isanlu, headquarters of Yagba East Local Government Area. The victims — a mother and her two children — were taken away while the husband narrowly escaped with gunshot wounds.
The incident occurred around 2 a.m. on Friday when the attackers invaded the home of one Mr. Tokpe Gody at Bareke-Egbe in Yagba West. Witnesses said the assailants shot Gody as he attempted to flee, leaving him critically injured. He is currently receiving treatment at Egbe Hospital, though medical personnel say he may need to be transferred to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH), Lokoja.
A member of the Kogi State Vigilante Management Agency confirmed the attack, revealing that the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N100 million for the release of the victims.
“One of us received calls from the kidnappers this morning. They used a private number and insisted on N100 million before they would release the victims,” the source said.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued Okun land in recent months. Since May, communities in Yagba East and West have suffered repeated invasions. Notably, the paramount ruler of Okeloke was abducted earlier in the year, while on September 19, two police officers and two local officials were killed in an ambush on the Atan–Ilafin road.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, and the Command’s spokesperson, SP William Aya, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
However, the State Security Adviser, Commander Jerry Omadara, told reporters he was yet to be briefed on the latest incident.
“I will find out. But I can assure you that we are giving the bandits hot pursuit and have recorded significant successes in the last month. Right now, we have chased them as far as Kwara in our efforts to rid the state of kidnappers, bandits and other criminals,” Omadara said.