Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Henry Owen
Kogi, Nigeria — Armed bandits abducted a charcoal dealer, identified as Emmanuel Omo Baba, along the Egbe–Oke-Ere road in the Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State on Monday, 26 January 2026, authorities and local sources confirmed. The incident has amplified existing fears over insecurity in the region, as residents and traders voiced alarm at the audacity of the attack and the vulnerability of major rural routes.
Mr Baba, a native of Apoto community, was seized while at a charcoal farm located along the Oke-Ere axis of the highway. Eyewitnesses and community informants said the assailants ambushed him during routine work and forced him into an unidentified vehicle before fleeing into nearby forested areas.
The abduction occurred in daylight hours, an escalation that has intensified concerns among residents of Egbe, Oke-Ere, and surrounding settlements. Traders and commuters who rely on the Egbe–Oke-Ere road for daily movement described a climate of fear and disruption, with many now reluctant to traverse the corridor without armed escorts or prior security assurances.
Local community groups reported that armed bandits have shifted their criminal operations to include the Koro–Egbe Road and the Egbe–Oke-Ere Road, suggesting a broader expansion of territory exploited by criminal elements in Yagba West. The shift, residents say, has disrupted commerce and heightened anxiety among farmers, traders and transport operators who are frequent users of these routes.
The attack is part of a pattern of rising banditry and kidnappings across parts of Kogi State and neighbouring regions. Over the past year, several similar incidents have been documented. In mid-December 2025, gunmen attacked a rural church in Ayetoro-Kiri, Kabba-Bunu, killing at least one person and abducting several worshippers during a service. Officials from the Kogi State Government and local lawmakers have linked such attacks to an increase in bandit activity in central parts of the state.
Earlier in 2025, bandits abducted nine passengers on the Itobe-Anyigba road, part of a growing trend of highway kidnappings that have plagued rural communities and inter-city travel routes in Kogi. Security forces and local vigilante groups, including the Nigeria Police Force and Joint Security Task Force units, responded with combined search and rescue operations, although sustained success in recovering victims has remained inconsistent.
Residents of Yagba West expressed frustration over what they describe as inadequate security presence along key rural roads. Community leaders said the lack of regular patrols and rapid response capabilities has emboldened bandit groups to operate with near impunity, striking farming and trading communities with little immediate consequence. The Egbe Mekun community platform, among others, has appealed for urgent intervention from Kogi State security agencies to rescue Mr Baba and curb further abductions.
Public officials have acknowledged the security challenges in the area and assured that efforts are underway to improve patrols and intelligence-led responses. In recent months, the Kogi State Government, led by Governor Usman Ododo, engaged in operations aimed at dismantling criminal hideouts and securing rural axes identified as bandit corridors. Actions have included demolition of properties used as suspected criminal bases in the state and collaboration with hybrid forces from the Office of the National Security Adviser to enhance local security architecture.
Despite these initiatives, community perceptions remain that enforcement responses are reactive rather than preventative, leaving many rural inhabitants feeling exposed. Local traders moving goods along the Egbe–Oke-Ere and Koro–Egbe roads described their livelihoods as increasingly untenable without significant improvements in security infrastructure and support.
Security analysts monitoring central Nigeria’s insecurity landscape note that bandit groups often exploit poor road infrastructure, dense vegetation, and limited state presence to establish temporary bases of operation. Areas like Yagba West, with expansive rural terrains and multiple arterial roads connecting to larger markets and neighbouring states, are particularly susceptible to criminal exploitation. These routes, once considered safe, have seen a marked deterioration in travel confidence as attacks escalate.
The phenomenon of kidnapping for ransom has become entrenched in parts of northern and central Nigeria, with criminal networks using abducted victims to leverage payments while reinvesting proceeds into arms, logistics and further criminal enterprise. Communities that have previously negotiated ransoms for missing loved ones have reported mixed results, with some paying significant sums yet failing to secure timely releases. These dynamics complicate response strategies and strain local resources.
In response to the latest kidnapping, traditional rulers and community representatives in Egbe and Oke-Ere called for coordinated action by regional security forces, including intensified patrols, checkpoints along vulnerable corridors, and improved communication between residents and law enforcement. They emphasised the need for rapid deployment of personnel to the region to prevent further abductions and dismantle bandit camps believed to be operating within the bushlands flanking the highway.
Security stakeholders have highlighted the necessity of integrating community-based vigilance with formal law enforcement operations, leveraging local intelligence to pinpoint bandit movements and prevent ambushes. In other parts of Kogi, proactive collaboration between police and vigilante groups has resulted in the disruption of attempted abductions and the apprehension of suspects accused of supplying arms and logistical support to criminal elements.
For the family of Emmanuel Omo Baba and residents of Yagba West, the abduction is a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by armed bandits to rural life and commerce. As the search for the kidnapped charcoal dealer continues, communities remain on edge, calling for tangible security measures and swift action to secure his release and restore a sense of safety along the beleaguered Egbe–Oke-Ere axis.
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