Eleven people abducted along the Aloma-Egane Road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State have been rescued by security operatives, less than 24 hours before another armed attack on a nearby highway left one person dead and another kidnapped.
The two incidents, occurring within a day in the same local government area, have heightened concerns over the security of major routes linking communities in the area.
The Kogi State Police Command said the first attack occurred at about 4:40 p.m. on Wednesday, August 26, when armed men emerged from the bush around Ogene Zaria, close to the Ogene Zaria-Onicha-Igo Junction.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said the assailants blocked two buses travelling in opposite directions and abducted some passengers. Others escaped into the surrounding bush during the attack.
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A distress call prompted the Divisional Police Officer in Ofu to mobilise a joint security team to the scene. The operatives recovered two abandoned vehicles and launched a coordinated search of the surrounding bush.
The operation resulted in the rescue of all 11 abducted persons, including the drivers of the two buses.
Preliminary debriefing indicated that most of the rescued victims were members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja, the police said.
The victims were subsequently debriefed and, after the necessary procedures, allowed to continue their journey.
Another attack was reported on Thursday, August 27, along the Itobe-Ochadamu Expressway, also in Ofu Local Government Area.
The police said armed assailants emerged from the bush at about 5pm and opened fire on motorists around Ojuwo Olijo.
A blue Toyota Corolla, with registration number GWA 636 CH, was later found abandoned on the highway. Its driver was discovered dead inside the vehicle, while another occupant was taken into the bush by the attackers.
The command said it had deployed personnel alongside other security agencies to comb the surrounding forest in search of the abducted passenger and the assailants.
The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, directed sustained security operations along the affected corridor and ordered personnel to track down those responsible.
The back-to-back incidents have put the Ofu axis under renewed security attention. Within 24 hours, two separate attacks were recorded on roads in the local government area. The first involved the abduction of 11 people, while the second claimed a life and resulted in another kidnapping.
The incidents also expose the vulnerability of motorists travelling through isolated stretches of the highways, where surrounding forests can provide concealment for armed attackers.
Police authorities have advised motorists and residents along the routes to stay vigilant and report suspicious movements promptly to security agencies.
The 11 rescued victims have since continued their journey, while security personnel are searching for the abducted passenger and those behind the two attacks.
