Over 70 Victims Still In Kidnappers’ Den, Kogi Community Alleges

President of Bunu Development Association (BDA), Kabba-Bunu local government area of Kogi State, Pastor Kolawole Johnson Folorunsho, has hinted that over 70 people kidnapped from the community by bandits are still in captivity.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, he said Bunuland, a once peaceful agrarian region in central Nigeria, is currently facing grave and escalating security and humanitarian crisis.

According to him, what began as sporadic attacks has now evolved into sustained violence marked by killings, kidnappings, terror raids, and forceful displacement of innocent civilians.

His words, “Our farmers are being attacked on their farmlands. Travellers are abducted on public roads. Women, children, and the elderly are fleeing ancestral homes in fear, entire villages are gradually emptying.

“This is no longer a local problem.it is a humanitarian emergency and a threat to community survival.
“Despite efforts by government authorities, the scale, frequency, and persistence of these attacks indicate that current responses remain insufficient. Many communities feel increasingly vulnerable and exposed, and public confidence continues to erode.

When people lose security, they lose everything: their dignity, their livelihoods, their culture, and their future.

“As a community, we have resolved to respond lawfully, responsibly, and collectively.

The Bunu Development Association is therefore advocating a coordinated, community-based security support framework, working strictly within existing government-approved vigilante and security structures.

“This initiative, known as the Bunu Youths Vanguard, is designed to support intelligence gathering, early warning systems, and community vigilance, under professional supervision and full accountability.

This is not a call to lawlessness. It is a call for structured community protection, aligned with the rule of law.

“We are also appealing for: Strengthened and permanent security presence in high-risk areas. Improved intelligence-led operations, Humanitarian support for displaced families, medical and welfare assistance for community defenders, transparent documentation and investigation of all attacks.”

He therefore called for unity within Bunu-land and between communities and government institutions warning that division only emboldens violence.

The community also seeks the attention and support of the national and international community to amplify their voices, encourage accountability and timely action

to support peace-building, humanitarian relief, and community resilience initiatives.

“History will not judge them by their silence, but by their response.

Bunu-land is asking for protection, not privilege.”

He said they are asking for justice, not vengeance, for peace, not pity.

“We remain hopeful that with decisive action, collaboration, and global attention, Bunu-land can once again become a place where people live, farm, and raise families without fear”.