Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A Tiv community leader has been abducted by suspected bandits in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, intensifying fear among residents already grappling with a wave of violent attacks that have swept across the area in recent days.
Local sources said the victim was kidnapped on Thursday, March 5, 2026, while working on his farm at the Aru farm settlement, a rural agricultural area on the outskirts of Egbe. Armed men reportedly stormed the farmland and seized the community leader before fleeing into nearby forests that residents say have become safe havens for criminal gangs operating across the region.
The abduction is the latest in a series of attacks that have rattled communities across Yagba West, where bandit groups have increasingly targeted farmers, travellers and rural settlements.
Residents familiar with the latest incident said the attackers took advantage of the isolated nature of farm settlements in the area. Many farms in Yagba West are located far from town centres, surrounded by dense vegetation that provides cover for armed gangs to strike and retreat quickly.
The kidnapping has sparked widespread anxiety among farmers who rely on the fertile land in the region for their livelihoods. Many villagers now say they are reluctant to travel to their farms for fear of encountering armed groups.
The attack comes amid a broader surge in violent incidents that have unfolded across Yagba West within the past week.
On March 2, suspected bandits reportedly abducted a driver identified as Toba Festus near the Lawiri River axis in Odo-Ere after intercepting travellers along the route. The attackers reportedly emerged from the bush and forced vehicles to stop before taking the victim away.
The following day, March 3, gunmen launched another attack in the Bareke area of Egbe. During the assault, a commercial motorcyclist identified as Juwon Ajisafe was shot and later died from his injuries despite attempts to save him at a hospital. Three other individuals, including passengers on the same motorcycle, were abducted during the attack.
The attackers also reportedly attempted to kidnap the personal assistant to Senator Sunday Karimi during the same raid. Gunmen fired multiple shots at the residence of the aide in Bareke, riddling the building with bullets before fleeing after security personnel approached the area.
In another related incident, a resident identified as Gbenga Akolo from Koro in neighbouring Kwara State was kidnapped while travelling along the Egbe–Koro road, a route frequently used by traders and farmers moving between the two states. Reports indicated that the abductors later demanded a ransom for his release.
The concentration of attacks across several locations within a short period has heightened fears that organised kidnapping gangs are expanding operations across the Yagba corridor.
Community leaders say the region’s extensive forest belts, which stretch across parts of Kogi, Kwara and Ekiti states, provide ideal hideouts for armed groups who often launch quick attacks on highways and rural communities before retreating into remote terrain.
Security analysts have described the pattern of violence as typical of profit-driven criminal networks involved in kidnapping for ransom rather than ideologically motivated insurgent groups. These gangs frequently ambush travellers, abduct victims and later negotiate ransom payments with families.
The growing insecurity has already begun affecting economic activities in Yagba West, particularly agriculture and rural trade. Farmers and traders say attacks on farm settlements and highways are disrupting the transportation of produce such as cashew and other agricultural commodities, which form a major source of income for local communities.
Local authorities have responded by introducing emergency security measures aimed at restoring order. Officials in Yagba West recently imposed a night curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. across the local government area following the surge in kidnappings and shootings. Schools were also temporarily closed as a precautionary measure to protect students and staff.
Security forces, including soldiers stationed at a Forward Operating Base in Egbe, have reportedly conducted patrols alongside local vigilante groups in an effort to contain the attacks and prevent further violence.
Despite these efforts, residents say the frequency of kidnappings has continued to rise, creating an atmosphere of fear across towns and villages in the Okun region of Kogi State.
Community members are therefore calling on both the Kogi State Government and federal security agencies to intensify operations against bandits operating in the forests around Yagba West. Many residents have also urged authorities to deploy additional security personnel to farming areas and major rural roads where attacks are most common.
Stone Reporters note that the recent violence in Yagba West reflects a broader pattern of insecurity affecting Nigeria’s North-Central region, where kidnapping gangs have increasingly expanded operations along rural highways and agricultural communities.
For families and residents in Egbe, however, the immediate priority remains the safe return of the abducted Tiv community leader and the restoration of security that will allow farmers and traders to return to their daily activities without fear of attack.
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