Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Kabba/Bunu, Kogi State — Five women abducted from the Olle-Bunu community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area have been released after their captors accepted a ₦12 million ransom collectively raised by residents, families and community leaders. The development offers a bittersweet moment for the local community as three other abductees remain in captivity, fuelling fears for their safety and a continued outcry over insecurity in the region.
The women were freed on Friday following sustained negotiations between representatives of the Olle-Bunu community and the armed kidnappers who had held them for days in a forest hideout. Community contributors pooled resources to meet the ransom demand, a collective effort that underscored the desperation of families and neighbours to secure the hostages’ freedom amid limited official intervention.
The abduction, which sent shockwaves through Olle-Bunu and neighbouring settlements, highlighted persistent security vulnerabilities in Kogi State’s rural communities, particularly in the Kabba/Bunu area where isolated roads and dense forest paths have increasingly become ambush points for criminal gangs. Residents in the region have reported recurrent kidnappings in recent months, with several attacks targeting churchgoers, travellers and entire families.
Local vigilante groups, traditional leaders and youth associations were instrumental in coordinating fundraising efforts and dialogue with the captors, demonstrating the community’s resolve to protect its own amid growing frustration over delayed responses from formal security agencies. Elders described the release of the five women as a temporary relief, noting that the remaining three individuals still held captive remain a matter of urgent concern.
The identities and personal details of the released women have not been publicly disclosed, but community sources said they were reunited with family members in Kabba town after receiving basic medical checks. Meanwhile, relatives of the still-missing victims have appealed for broader support — including from state authorities and national security forces — to secure their safe return.
Kogi State has been grappling with an uptick in violent crime, including kidnappings, armed robbery and bandit attacks, which have displaced thousands and strained local resources. The December 14, 2025 attack on the First ECWA Church in Aiyetoro Kiri — just a few kilometres from Olle-Bunu — resulted in scores of worshippers being abducted, and negotiations for their release are ongoing, with some freed after large ransom payments and others still missing.
Security analysts say the recent spate of kidnappings in Kogi reflects broader challenges facing central Nigeria, where poorly policed rural roads and forests provide safe havens for criminal gangs. In many cases, victims’ families have struggled to raise the significant ransom amounts demanded, leaving communities with little option but to negotiate or seek alternative means of engagement. Critics argue that reliance on ransom payments inadvertently fuels the kidnapping economy, emboldening criminal networks and encouraging further abductions.
Calls for more robust state and federal government action have grown louder, with public figures and advocacy groups urging intensified security patrols, improved intelligence sharing and targeted operations to dismantle bandit hideouts. Traditional rulers and civil society leaders have repeatedly appealed to authorities to prioritise the deployment of security assets to rural corridors vulnerable to attacks, arguing that such measures are crucial to breaking the cycle of kidnappings and ransom-driven releases.
The situation has placed additional strain on families across the region, not only because of the emotional toll of having loved ones in captivity but also due to the financial burden of raising large sums for ransom. In many instances, contributions have depleted savings and forced households into debt, affecting livelihoods long after the immediate crisis has passed.
For residents of Olle-Bunu, the return of some abductees offers a moment of cautious celebration — but the ordeal underscores the high stakes involved in negotiating with armed groups. The three remaining captives represent unresolved tragedy for their families and a stark reminder of persistent insecurity in a region where many feel that official protection remains insufficient.
As negotiations and, in some cases, security operations continue to unfold across Kogi State’s troubled areas, local communities reaffirm their plea for sustained government engagement in securing release and dismantling the networks that perpetuate fear and endanger lives.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments