Panic has gripped communities in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State after terrorists launched a fresh attack on the Isanlu Makutu–Idofin highway on Saturday afternoon, leaving several persons feared abducted.
Eyewitnesses told Chronicle Reporters that the assailants struck without warning, forcing residents and travellers to flee in different directions as gunfire erupted along the busy corridor. The exact number of kidnapped victims remains unclear as official details are still emerging.
The attack has heightened fear across surrounding communities, with residents reportedly staying indoors while motorists divert to alternative routes to avoid the volatile stretch of road.
Security agencies were said to be mobilising to the scene at the time of filing this report.
This latest assault comes just days after coordinated attacks on major highways in Kogi State, where over 100 bandits ambushed multiple vehicles, killing a soldier and a vigilante before security forces rescued 21 passengers — including women and a nine-day-old baby.
During Thursday’s incident, a Toyota Sienna from Oshogbo to Kaduna, two Toyota Hiace buses, a Toyota Carina, a Dangote truck transporting 900 bags of cement, and a J5 bus carrying pepper were targeted.
A joint response team comprising operatives of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, the Quick Response Unit, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, vigilantes, and local hunters engaged the attackers in a fierce gun duel, successfully securing several trapped passengers.
Saturday’s incident has renewed concerns over worsening insecurity along Kogi’s highways, with residents calling for immediate reinforcement of security to prevent further bloodshed and abductions.