Confusion In Kogi Over Church Abduction As Bandits Demand N600m

There is confusion in Ayetoro Kiri, a rural farming community in Kabba/Bunu local government area of Kogi State, following the abduction of 13 worshippers from a church.

The worshippers were abducted on December 14 during an attack on the church, heightening concerns over safety in rural communities and places of worship in parts of the state which is already grappling with kidnapping and banditry.

Despite ongoing security operations, tension remains high in the community following reports that the abductors are demanding N600 million ransom and insisting on dealing directly with the state government.

However, Governor Ododo has maintained that his administration would not negotiate with criminal elements, saying the fight against kidnapping and banditry would be taken to the criminals’ hideouts.

A resident, Jude Samson, told our correspondent in Lokoja that he had relocated with his family and a few belongings to a nearby community due to rising tension in Ayetoro Kiri.

“The fear here is overwhelming. Since the abduction, many of us no longer feel safe to stay. I had to move my family out with just a few belongings because the activities of kidnappers and bandits have made life unbearable in this community,” Samson said.

He added that several residents were abandoning their homes out of fear of further attacks, noting that the worsening security situation had made it unsafe for families to remain in the area.

Briefing journalists on the incident, the commissioner for information and communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said preliminary findings indicated that the attackers were criminal elements displaced from neighbouring Niger and Kwara states due to sustained military pressure.

“The spillover of banditry into Kogi remains a serious challenge, especially in our forested and hard-to-reach communities,” Fanwo said.

According to him, the spillover of banditry from neighbouring states continues to pose serious security challenges for Kogi, particularly in remote areas characterised by vast forests and limited access routes, thus necessitating the strengthening of the state’s security architecture.

Fanwo disclosed that hunters in the community resisted the attack and engaged the bandits in a gun battle, resulting in the killing of four bandits, while others escaped into the forest with gunshot wounds.

He said security operatives, working in collaboration with local hunters, were combing surrounding forests in pursuit of the fleeing attackers as efforts intensified to rescue the abducted worshippers.

The commissioner confirmed the deployment of troops from the 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, alongside personnel of the Kogi State Police Command, adding that a joint security team had been established to safeguard lives and property in the area.

He also said the Department of State Services (DSS) was providing intelligence support, while the state government had requested air support from the Nigerian Air Force to complement ongoing ground operations.

According to Fanwo, Governor Ahmed Ododo is engaging the service chiefs to ensure aerial surveillance of the forests to prevent the criminals from escaping or regrouping.