Bandits Abduct Okada Union Chairman, Others Returning From Pro-Tinubu/Ododo Rally

Residents and commercial motorcycle operators in parts of Kogi State have been thrown into fear and anxiety following the abduction of three members of an Okada riders’ union by suspected bandits along the Ageva–Magongo road.

The victims were identified as Mr. Jonathan Stephen Monday, Chairman of the union’s Ogori Branch, alongside Mr. Ashemadaun Eben and Mr. Mosigbodi Jethro Adoga.

According to eyewitnesses, the victims were among members of the union who had travelled to Lokoja to participate in a solidarity rally organised in support of the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Ahmed  Ododo ahead of the 2027 elections.

Sources disclosed that while returning from the event, the bus conveying the group was ambushed by heavily armed bandits along the Ageva–Magongo axis, a route that has increasingly become a security flashpoint for commuters and residents.

While several occupants of the vehicle escaped, the three victims were captured by the attackers and taken to an unknown destination.

Family members of the abducted victims have expressed deep concern over their safety, calling on security agencies and the Kogi State government to intensify rescue efforts and ensure their safe return.

At the time of filing this report, neither the police nor other security agencies had issued an official statement on the incident, while efforts to ascertain the whereabouts and condition of the abducted union members were still ongoing.