In yet another blow to the security of Kogi State, gunmen numbering over 40 have abducted nine persons in the Inele-Ugoh community, located within the Igah Ikeje district of Olamaboro Local Government Area.
This latest incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, December 19, 2025, marks a dangerous shift as the wave of kidnappings moves from the Western senatorial district (Kabba/Bunu and Yagba) toward the Eastern part of the state.
The attack was characterized by its scale and the specific targeting of families and farmers. Four of the victims are members of a single family, a mother and her three children. They were intercepted while traveling to a neighboring community to attend a burial ceremony.
The five other victims were snatched directly from their farmlands by the assailants, who effectively overran the area.
Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen were so heavily armed and numerous (estimated at over 40) that local vigilante groups were forced to retreat to avoid a massacre.
More so, Troops from the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army were alerted, but the bandits had already vanished into the thick forests of Olamaboro before security arrived.
Desperate residents and local community police have sent an urgent SOS to Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the Federal Government. They argue that traditional ground-based “combing” of the forest is no longer effective against the sophisticated tactics of the bandits.
Community leaders are demanding the immediate deployment of police helicopters and surveillance drones from Lokoja to track the bandits’ movements in real-time.
Local security intelligence suggests the group may consist of up to 200 militants who split into smaller units to move captives constantly, making ground tracking nearly impossible without “eyes in the sky.”
This demand follows reports from earlier this month in Ejiba (Yagba West), where bandits were allegedly spotted using their own scout drones to monitor church services before launching attacks.
The abduction in Olamaboro is part of a dark fortnight for the state:
| Date | Location | Incident Details |
| Dec 14 | Ayetoro-Kiri | 13–37 worshippers abducted from ECWA Church; 1 killed. |
| Dec 14 | Mopamuro | 3 killed and several abducted in coordinated raids on Ilai and Oke-Agi. |
| Dec 19 | Olamaboro | 9 abducted (including a mother and 3 children) in pre-dawn raid. |
The Kabba/Bunu Traditional Council and CAN have already suspended church activities in their area to prevent a repeat of the Ayetoro-Kiri tragedy. There are now fears that similar “lockdowns” may be necessary in Olamaboro if the aerial support requested by residents is not provided.
