Gunmen Abduct Mother, Three Children, and Five Others in Kogi

Nine people, including a mother and her three children, were abducted by gunmen in Inele-Ugoh village, Igah Ikeje community, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, early Friday, December 19, 2025.

According to reports, more than 40 armed men stormed the community at dawn. The woman and her children were reportedly traveling to a neighboring community for a burial when they were intercepted and taken into the forest. Five other individuals were abducted from their farms during the attack.

An eyewitness told *Punch* that the overwhelming number of attackers and the weapons they carried deterred local vigilante members from intervening.

The community immediately raised an alarm, alerting troops of the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army stationed nearby. However, soldiers reportedly arrived after the gunmen had fled into the forest. Ground searches by troops and local vigilantes are ongoing, but residents fear that without aerial surveillance, locating the abductors may prove difficult.

A police source within the community said the criminal group operates in large numbers and frequently moves their captives. “These bandits move in large groups, sometimes up to 200, and often split into smaller units. They do not stay in one location but keep moving their captives from one place to another,” the source explained. “Ground troops alone may not succeed without aerial support. Drones or police helicopters from Lokoja are needed to flush them out. We will not enjoy Christmas if these criminals remain in our forests.”

Members of the Kogi East Neighbourhood Watch also reported an increase in kidnapping activities in Olamaboro communities, adding that the attackers are heavily armed and likely operating across state borders.

One resident described the kidnappers as “audacious and desperate,” noting that they strike both day and night. Calls for increased security deployment and aerial surveillance by state and federal authorities have intensified as communities grapple with the escalating menace.