Bandits Ambush Kwara-Bound Travellers, Kidnap Nine Passengers Including Christian Clerics

Nine passengers traveling from Kogi to Kwara, including Christian clerics, have been abducted by suspected bandits. The attack occurred on Saturday when gunmen ambushed their vehicle between Egbe and Eruku, a border area connecting Kogi and Kwara states.

Among those kidnapped were identified as Prophet and Prophetess Michaels, as well as Mrs. Iyabode Asubiojo. Sources reported that the attackers fired sporadically to stop the vehicle before forcibly taking the passengers into the nearby forest.

This incident underscores growing concerns about insecurity along the Kogi–Kwara highway, which has witnessed multiple kidnappings and armed attacks in recent months. In a related incident, bandits had previously attacked a commercial bus traveling between Eruku and Egbe, opening fire on passengers. Video evidence from that attack showed bullet holes across the bus and bloodstains on the driver’s side. The injured driver was identified as being from Isanlu, while passengers included a man from Egbe and an unidentified Hausa trader.

Residents of the area have called on the Chairman of Yagba East Local Government Area to collaborate with his counterpart in Yagba West to take decisive action against the rising wave of banditry along the Kwara–Kogi border.