Suspected Kidnappers Sever Victims’ Hands Before Releasing Them Without Ransom in Kogi

Gunmen suspected of being kidnappers have reportedly severed the hands of three victims before releasing them without demanding any ransom in Yagba West Local Government Area, Kogi State.

According to local sources, the most recent victim, Lanlege Adewale, from Ogbe, a neighboring town to Egbe, was abducted on Saturday. His captors mutilated him by chopping off his hand before releasing him, without requesting a ransom.

Two other victims, a driver and an unidentified individual, are currently in critical condition at a hospital in Egbe, suffering from similar injuries.

Adewale and four others were kidnapped on Saturday after their vehicle was ambushed between Egbe and Ikoro, a community in the Yagba area. The gunmen, who were reportedly dressed in military uniforms and armed with AK-47 rifles, flagged down the vehicle and took the five occupants, including two men and three women, into the forest, which borders Kogi, Kwara, and Ekiti states.

A witness from the community described the ambush, saying that the victims were quickly taken into the forest by armed men riding motorcycles. The gunmen moved them to a secluded area that links Kogi with Ekiti and Kwara.

A family member of Adewale, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed shock that Adewale survived the ordeal after his hand was severed. The victim was left to bleed for hours in the bush before being released. Another source revealed that an unidentified victim, whose identity remains unknown due to his critical condition, is also recovering at a hospital in Egbe after having his hand chopped off by the same group of assailants.

Residents of Yagba communities are now living in fear as the frequency and brutality of these attacks continue to escalate. One local, Babajide, expressed deep concern about the growing threat posed by the kidnappers, who have introduced a dangerous new level of violence to the area.