Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A joint security team comprising vigilante operatives, the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force has rescued a bar manager and a female sales girl who were abducted by armed bandits from Aluta Bar Relaxation in Oke‑Ijumu, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State. The rescue operation, conducted on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, took place while the abductors were transporting their victims to a forest hideout. Several suspected bandits were neutralised in the ensuing gun battle, while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
The victims were kidnapped three days earlier during a brazen armed attack on the relaxation centre on the night of Saturday, June 6, 2026. According to multiple reports, the assailants arrived at Aluta Bar and began shooting indiscriminately, killing one customer on the spot and leaving several others injured. In the chaos that followed, the gunmen seized the bar manager and a female sales attendant and fled into nearby bushes. The identity of the deceased customer has not been released by authorities.
Following the attack, the Kogi State Government confirmed the incident in a press statement. The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, praised the prompt and coordinated response of security operatives, stating that the Nigerian Military, the Police, the Kogi State Vigilante Service and local hunters engaged the invaders in a fierce gun battle that forced them to abandon parts of their mission and retreat. Intelligence reports indicated that several of the attackers sustained gunshot wounds during the exchange of fire. One member of the Tiv community lost his life during the crossfire, while another victim sustained gunshot injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.
The rescue operation itself was executed by operatives of the Ogbe Vigilantes, the Irele‑Ekiti Vigilantes, alongside the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force. A source familiar with the operation disclosed that the security team intercepted the bandits as they were transporting their captives to a hideout. A fierce gun battle ensued, during which several of the kidnappers were neutralised. The victims were rescued unharmed and have since been reunited with their families.
The Kogi State Government has urged residents to support ongoing security operations by promptly reporting individuals with suspicious gunshot wounds or anyone seeking treatment for firearm‑related injuries. Security operatives have reportedly intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further criminal activities in the area. The state government has also assured citizens that it remains committed to deploying all necessary resources to ensure that criminal elements have no safe haven in Kogi.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the security of communities across Kogi West, with residents and community leaders calling for stronger security measures to protect lives and property in vulnerable areas. For the rescued bar manager and sales girl, the nightmare of three days in captivity has come to an end. But for the family of the customer who died, and for the communities still living under the shadow of banditry, the work of securing Kogi’s rural heartland has only just begun.
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