Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Armed bandits on Friday evening, May 8, 2026, reportedly abducted 10 wood operators working in the Abu forest, a dense and remote stretch of woodland located between Ogbe in Kogi State and Irele in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State. The attack occurred while the victims were carrying out their routine logging activities, sources within the area disclosed. The gunmen surrounded the workers, forced them to stop their work, and then marched them into the deeper parts of the forest. One of the abducted victims was identified as Kehinde, said to be an indigene of Ipao‑Ekiti. The exact identities of the other victims have not yet been released, pending family notifications.
In a latest development, local sources confirmed that five of the abducted persons have managed to escape from captivity. The circumstances of their escape were not immediately clear, but community members believe the bandits may have become disorganised or that the victims took advantage of a lapse in guard. The remaining five are still being held by the bandits, and their whereabouts remain unknown. Family members have gathered in the affected communities, anxiously waiting for news and pleading with the abductors to release their loved ones unharmed.
The incident has reportedly created fear among residents and forest workers operating around the border communities of Kogi and Ekiti states. The Abu forest, which straddles the two states, has long been a source of livelihood for wood operators, charcoal burners, and farmers. However, the area has also become a haven for criminal elements who exploit the dense vegetation and porous inter‑state boundaries to evade security forces. Over the past year, several attacks on forest workers and travellers along the Kogi‑Ekiti corridor have been reported, leading to increasing calls for improved security patrols and the establishment of a permanent security post in the forest.
As of the time of filing this report, security operatives were yet to release an official statement regarding the incident. The police commands in both Kogi and Ekiti states have not responded to requests for comment. Local vigilante groups have reportedly begun searching the forest in the hope of locating the remaining victims, but the terrain is difficult, and the bandits are believed to be moving constantly. Community leaders have called on the state governments to intervene and ensure the safe rescue of the five abducted wood operators, warning that continued insecurity could devastate the local timber economy and displace many families who depend on the forest for survival.
The abduction of the 10 wood operators is the latest in a series of security incidents affecting rural communities in the North‑Central and South‑West borderlands. The Kogi‑Ekiti forest route has witnessed increased bandit activity in recent months, with travellers and workers often targeted for kidnapping and ransom. The escape of five victims offers a glimmer of hope, but the fate of the remaining five remains uncertain. Residents are appealing to the government to take decisive action before more lives are lost.
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