Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A single family in Kogi State has been shattered by two devastating blows in the space of just a few days. Chief Adebayo Samuel, a respected community leader, was abducted from his farm by armed kidnappers. Days later, as family and friends struggled to come to terms with his death in captivity, his daughter was herself abducted while travelling to the town of Egbe. The double tragedy has thrown the Oke‑Ere community in Yagba West Local Government Area into deep mourning and intensified fear across a region already buckling under relentless insecurity.
The nightmare began when Chief Adebayo Samuel was working on his farmland. According to community sources, armed men stormed the farm, seized the chief, and whisked him away to an unknown location. Hope for his safe return was, however, tragically extinguished. Despite intense worry and concern from residents who had cried for his release, reports later emerged confirming his death while still in captivity. The chief’s death left a void in the community, where he was known as a prominent and respected figure.
The family had barely begun to mourn when a fresh wave of grief struck. As residents gathered to console one another and offer prayers, the deceased chief’s daughter decided to travel to the nearby town of Egbe. However, she never reached her destination. In a horrific turn of events, she was intercepted and abducted by gunmen, reportedly on the highway, compounding an already unbearable loss. The latest abduction has intensified panic in the area, with many residents describing the security situation as frightening and unbearable.
The tragic incidents have sparked emotional reactions on social media, with many Nigerians sympathising with the affected family while demanding swift action from authorities to tackle insecurity in Kogi State and across the country. The Kogi State Police Command has yet to release an official statement on the incidents, and as of press time, the daughter of Chief Adebayo Samuel remains in captivity.
Yagba West has, for months, been a hotspot for a wave of worsening insecurity that has displaced many and left rural farmers in constant dread. Only days before Chief Samuel’s abduction, troops of the 12 Brigade rescued two injured farmers in Yagba West after suspected terrorists attacked a farmer on his land. The bandits fled before the troops could make contact, but the incident highlighted how everyday agriculture has become a life‑threatening activity. In March 2026, armed men attacked the Odo‑Ere community, shooting a resident and abducting several others.
The growing spate of violence has galvanised residents. In March 2026, angered youth protesters barricaded the main federal highway in Egbe for hours, blocking vehicular movement from the area and demanding urgent intervention from the government and security agencies to stop the “crippling insecurity”.
As the sun set on Oke‑Ere, the community prepared for the burial rites of a venerated chief, even as they held out desperate hope that his daughter would still be found alive. The night offered no certainty, only the hollow echo of unanswered prayers.
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