Bandits Abduct Four Kogi Residents

Terrorists suspected to be bandits have abducted four residents of Oke-Ere community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. It was gathered that the attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday when the victims were ambushed by the gunmen while heading to a river within the community. The victims were identified as Tunde, Stephen, and two Hausa residents. According to sources, the four residents were on their way to a river known as Liberia in Oke-Ere when the suspected bandits intercepted them and whisked them away to an unknown destination. A local platform, Egba Mekun Parrot, quoting a source familiar with the incident, reported that personnel of the Nigerian Army had since been deployed to the area and had launched a search-and-rescue operation aimed at securing the release of the abducted victims. The latest abduction comes barely a day after Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, passed out 530 pioneer Forest Guards in Lokoja and charged them with defending the state against criminal elements. During the passing-out parade, Governor Ododo tasked the newly trained Forest Guards with protecting forests and rural communities from bandits, kidnappers and other criminal groups, describing the initiative as a key component of his administration's strategy to strengthen security across the state. However, the abduction of four residents in Oke-Ere less than 24 hours after the graduation of the Forest Guards has raised serious concerns over the worsening security situation in parts of Kogi State, particularly communities vulnerable to attacks by armed bandits and kidnappers.