Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A woman identified as Mrs. Bolajoko Grace Kolade has reportedly been abducted by suspected bandits along the Eruku–Egbe road, an increasingly dangerous corridor linking Kwara and Kogi states, deepening fears among residents over the persistent wave of kidnappings in the region.
According to information gathered from community sources, the incident occurred on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, when the victim was travelling along the road connecting Eruku in Kwara State to Egbe in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. Armed men believed to be part of organised kidnapping gangs reportedly intercepted travellers along the route and forcefully took Mrs. Kolade into the surrounding forest.
Family members later confirmed that the kidnappers have contacted relatives and demanded a ransom of ₦3 million in exchange for her release. The family says negotiations with the abductors have begun but they are struggling to raise the money required.
A relative of the victim issued a public appeal for assistance, saying the family lacks the financial capacity to meet the ransom demand alone.
“We are appealing to friends, family members and loved ones to assist us. No amount is too small,” the relative said while pleading for support to secure the victim’s freedom.
Sources close to the family say the kidnappers first established contact shortly after the abduction, using phone calls to inform relatives that Mrs. Kolade was alive but would only be released after payment of the ransom. It was not immediately clear whether security agencies had opened negotiations or launched a rescue operation as of the time of reporting.
The abduction has triggered renewed anxiety among residents of communities located along the Eruku–Egbe corridor, a road that has increasingly become a hotspot for bandit attacks, kidnappings and armed ambushes targeting travellers. Local residents say the route has become particularly dangerous due to its proximity to forested areas that stretch across parts of Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states, providing hideouts for criminal gangs.
Security analysts have warned that these forests, which connect several states across Nigeria’s North-Central region, have gradually become operational bases for kidnapping syndicates that ambush vehicles, abduct passengers and retreat quickly into remote bush paths before security forces can respond.
Residents in communities surrounding Eruku and Egbe say the latest kidnapping is part of a pattern of escalating attacks that have intensified over the past year. Several travellers have previously been abducted along the same route, often after gunmen blocked the highway or fired at vehicles in an attempt to force drivers to stop.
In one earlier incident, kidnappers reportedly opened fire on motorists travelling along the road, causing panic among drivers who attempted to escape the ambush by speeding toward nearby police stations. Authorities later deployed additional officers to the area after confirming that the attackers were attempting to intercept vehicles and kidnap passengers.
The security situation in the region worsened dramatically in late 2025 when armed bandits launched a deadly attack on a church in Eruku town, killing several worshippers and abducting dozens during a religious gathering. The assault shocked the community and exposed the growing boldness of criminal groups operating near the Kwara–Kogi border.
During that attack, heavily armed gunmen stormed a Christ Apostolic Church during a service, firing shots that killed several people and abducting dozens of congregants before fleeing into the forest. The incident led to the kidnapping of 38 worshippers, triggering nationwide outrage and prompting a large-scale security operation by government authorities.
Government officials later confirmed that the abducted worshippers were eventually rescued after coordinated efforts by security agencies and local authorities.
Despite such operations, residents say criminal networks continue to exploit the vast forests linking Kwara, Kogi and Niger states to launch attacks on communities and travellers.
Community leaders in the affected areas have repeatedly called on federal and state authorities to increase security patrols along the Eruku–Egbe route and establish permanent checkpoints to deter attacks. Some residents have also advocated for joint security operations involving the military, police, local vigilante groups and forest guards to clear criminal hideouts in the surrounding bush.
The kidnapping of Mrs. Kolade has therefore renewed urgent calls for stronger security measures in Yagba West and neighbouring communities.
Local residents say the situation has forced many travellers to avoid the road after sunset, while commercial transport operators have begun reducing trips along the corridor due to fears of ambush.
Community members say they remain hopeful that Mrs. Kolade will be safely released but warn that the persistent wave of kidnappings could continue to destabilise rural communities unless decisive action is taken to dismantle the criminal networks operating across the region.
Stone Reporters note that the kidnapping crisis in Nigeria has increasingly shifted toward rural highways and border communities where limited security presence and vast forest terrain provide favourable conditions for armed gangs. For families of victims like Mrs. Kolade, however, the immediate concern remains survival and the urgent effort to secure the safe return of their loved ones from captivity.
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