Bandits attacked motorists along the Ayere-Kabba highway in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing one person and abducting several passengers.
Reports from the community indicated that the incident occurred around 5.pm on Sunday when the motorists ran into the ambush along the busy route. As at press time, Daily Trust was unable to confirm the total number of persons taken into the bush.
This is coming at a time the Presidency said the country had recorded an 81 per cent reduction in terror-related deaths since 2015.
It attributed the decline to improved counter-insurgency operations and stronger collaboration between security agencies and affected communities.
In a statement posted on its official X account on Sunday, the Presidency said more than 13,000 terrorists have been neutralised in the past year, while over 124,000 fighters and their dependents have surrendered to authorities.
It added that more than 2.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned home, with reconstruction efforts ongoing in previously affected communities under the Federal Government’s Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflict.
The victims of the latest attack in the North Central state were said to be travellers from Lagos moving through that axis of Kogi State, on their way to Abuja.
Locals said two buses with registration number; MAN 399XA and MAN 425XA, one other bus, and two cars were sighted at the scene of the incident at the Ayere axis, a boundary settlement towards Ondo State.
According to one of the victims, Kolawole Olawoye, who escaped with bullets wound, passengers in three vehicles, including occupants of a Camry car and Boxer, were all abducted in the attack.
“Four of us, including a lady in the car sustained gunshot injuries. We were travelling from Lagos to Abuja, but ran into the ambush of the terrorists at a place called Ayere in Kogi. I stopped, and quickly put my car on reverse mode.
“The hoodlums opened fire on the car, destroyed its water tank and the car come to an abrupt halt. We alighted from it and ran into the bush for cover, with bullet wounds”, said Olawoye.
He added that it was after a while that they came out of the bush and locals took them to the hospital. The injured persons said to be on admission at the General Hospital in Kabba area of the state were identified as Urajo Babangida, Leonard Amuze, Mercy Avine and Babangida.
A source said one person was confirmed dead shortly after he was admitted in the hospital due to severity of his injuries in the attack.
Locals expressed fears over the abducted passengers, saying several of them were whisked into the bush with various degrees of gunshot wounds.
Meanwhile efforts to confirm the incident from the Kogi State Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP William Aya, proved abortive as he did not respond to calls put through to him or the text message sent to him.
However, on resumption of duty recently, the new Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, promised to sustain the battle against banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery bedeviling the state.
“The police authorities will not tolerate any act of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, or other criminal activities anywhere in the state”, he said.
The state police boss emphasised on intelligence sharing, synergy among security agencies, and joint efforts to curb violent crimes in the state.
He said: “We will prioritise the security of the state by working in synergy with our sister agencies, critical stakeholders, and traditional rulers in communities to ensure the safety of the Kogi citizens.
