Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Mr Bamsa Remilekun Daniel, a 42‑year‑old electrician and resident of Ijalu in Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, was abducted by armed bandits on Wednesday morning, 29 April 2026, while working on his farm near the Airfield area of the town. The incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m., according to multiple sources who spoke to this reporter. Daniel, who is a well‑known figure in the community, had left his home earlier in the morning to tend to his farmland, as he did on most days, before he was intercepted by a gang of gunmen whose identity and affiliation have not yet been established.
No security agency has issued an official statement on the abduction, and it remains unclear whether the abductors have made contact with the family or whether any ransom demand has been made. Sources close to the family said that relatives had been calling Daniel’s mobile phone but all attempts had been met with a switched‑off signal, deepening their anxiety. Residents of Egbe, particularly those living around the Airfield axis, described a tense atmosphere, with many staying indoors for fear that the bandits might strike again.
The abduction of Mr Bamsa Remilekun Daniel fits into a troubling pattern that has turned Yagba West Local Government Area into one of Kogi State’s most insecure regions. In March 2026, a Tiv community leader was kidnapped while working on his farm at the Aru farm settlement in Egbe. The gunmen stormed the farm and whisked the victim away to an unknown destination, leaving residents in panic (SaharaReporters, 5 March 2026). Days before that incident, bandits abducted two residents in Okoloke community during an early‑morning raid, and soldiers who responded engaged the gunmen in a battle, but the attackers escaped with their captives (SaharaReporters, 6 March 2026). In January 2026, a trader, Emmanuel Omo Baba, was abducted while at a charcoal farm along the Egbe‑Oke‑Ere road (SaharaReporters, 26 January 2026).
Residents who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said that the insecurity has forced many farmers, including Daniel, to adjust their routines, yet the bandits have continued to strike with impunity. “We are living in fear. Even going to the farm is no longer safe,” a community leader said. “We have reported these attacks to the police, but nothing changes. The bandits come and go as they please.” Another resident, who gave his name only as Mr. Ade, added, “Mr Bamsa is a quiet and hardworking man. He is not a troublemaker. This shows that nobody is safe anymore.”
The abduction has also drawn attention to the longstanding inadequacy of security infrastructure in Yagba West. The local government area shares a border with Kwara and Ekiti states, and its vast, sparsely populated forests have long served as hideouts for criminal gangs. Despite repeated calls by community leaders for the establishment of a military outpost or a police divisional headquarters in Egbe, the government has not taken any concrete action. In February 2026, armed bandits were sighted around a sawmill on the outskirts of Egbe, raising fresh security fears (Stone Reporters News, 9 February 2026). In March, angry youths blocked a federal road to protest the worsening security crisis, but their demonstrations yielded no visible result.
The pattern of attacks suggests that the bandits are well organised and have reliable intelligence about their victims’ movements. Many of the abductions, including that of the Tiv community leader and the two residents in Okoloke, occurred in the early morning or late afternoon – times when farmers are most vulnerable. The abduction of Daniel, who was working alone on his farm, appears to follow a similar script. There is no indication that any of the victims were specifically targeted; rather, they appear to have been random selections of opportunity.
The Kogi State Police Command has not responded to requests for comment on the latest abduction. The spokesperson for the command was unavailable as of press time. The state government has also remained silent, even though the governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, had previously assured residents that security would be his administration’s top priority. In a recent interview, the governor claimed that his government was working closely with the military and other security agencies to flush out criminals from forest hideouts. However, the continued spate of abductions in Yagba West suggests that those efforts, if they exist, have not yet reached Egbe.
The abduction of Mr Bamsa Remilekun Daniel is not just a tragedy for one family; it is a symptom of a larger failure of governance and security. When an electrician cannot work on his farm without being taken by gunmen; when a trader cannot travel along a major road without being kidnapped; when a community leader cannot lead his people without being whisked away to a forest; when all of this happens repeatedly and the government offers nothing but silence, the social contract between the state and the citizen is broken.
As of the time of this report, Mr Bamsa Remilekun Daniel remains in captivity. His wife and children have not slept since Wednesday morning. They have not received any official communication from the police, the military, or any government agency. They do not know if a rescue operation is underway or if their husband and father is alive. All they know is that he left for the farm at 9:30 a.m. and never came back. And the silence from those who are paid to protect them is deafening.
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