The worsening security crisis in Kogi State has taken a troubling turn as suspected bandits abducted four residents of Oke-Ere community in Yagba West Local Government Area, less than 24 hours after Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo unveiled the state’s newly trained Forest Guards to combat kidnapping and banditry.
The victims, identified simply as Tunde, Stephen and two Hausa residents, were reportedly seized in the early hours of Sunday while travelling to a riverside known as Liberia in Oke-Ere.
According to community sources, the four men were ambushed by heavily armed gunmen believed to be bandits, who overpowered them and whisked them away into the surrounding forest. Their whereabouts remain unknown, raising fresh fears among residents already living under the shadow of recurring attacks.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the community, with locals expressing concern over the growing boldness of criminal gangs operating in the area despite renewed government efforts to strengthen security.
A local news platform, Egba Mekun Parrot, quoting a source familiar with the development, reported that troops of the Nigerian Army have been deployed to Oke-Ere and are currently conducting search-and-rescue operations in an effort to locate the victims and secure their safe release.
The latest abduction comes barely a day after Governor Ododo presided over the passing-out parade of 530 pioneer Forest Guards in Lokoja. During the ceremony, the governor charged the newly recruited personnel with the responsibility of protecting forests, farmlands and rural communities from bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements.
Describing the Forest Guards initiative as a cornerstone of his administration’s security strategy, the governor urged the operatives to remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding lives and property across the state.
However, Sunday’s attack has cast a shadow over the new security initiative, with many residents questioning how armed criminals were able to strike so swiftly after the deployment of a force specifically established to secure vulnerable communities.
The abduction has further heightened anxiety across Yagba West and neighbouring communities, where residents continue to grapple with the persistent threat of kidnapping and violent attacks.
As military personnel intensify efforts to rescue the victims, residents are calling for stronger intelligence gathering, sustained security operations and a more robust response to stem the rising tide of insecurity across Kogi State.