Over 40 heavily armed gunmen stormed Inele-Ugoh village in Igah Ikeje community, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, in the early hours of Friday, December 19, 2025, abducting nine residents.
The victims include a woman and her three children, who were intercepted en route to a burial ceremony in a neighboring community and forced into the surrounding forest.
Five others were seized from their farms during the raid.An eyewitness described the attackers' overwhelming numbers and sophisticated weapons, which deterred local vigilantes from intervening.
Residents quickly alerted troops from the Nigerian Army's 12 Brigade at a nearby checkpoint, but the soldiers arrived only after the gunmen had escaped deep into the bush.
Although joint patrols by soldiers and vigilantes are now combing the forests, locals fear the captives may remain elusive without advanced support.
A community police source revealed that these criminal groups often operate in forces of up to 200, frequently splitting into smaller units and relocating victims to evade capture.
"These bandits move in large groups.They do not stay in one location but keep moving their captives," the source said, emphasizing the need for aerial assistance.
"Ground troops alone may not succeed without aerial support. Drones or police helicopters from Lokoja are needed to flush them out."
Members of the Kogi East Neighbourhood Watch noted a recent intensification of kidnappings in Olamaboro communities, attributing the influx to criminals infiltrating from neighboring states.
One resident called the attackers "audacious and desperate," operating round the clock, and urged both state and federal governments to deploy more forces and aerial surveillance.
This incident shows the persistent kidnapping crisis in north-central Nigeria, including Kogi State, where armed groups continue to exploit vast ungoverned forests despite ongoing security operations.
As the Senate debates amendments to impose capital punishment for kidnapping under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, critics argue that institutional reforms such as enhanced intelligence and aerial capabilities are key to curbing the menace rather than harsher penalties alone.
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