Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A Kogi State farmer, Dada Babatege, popularly known as "Old Soldier," has now spent 235 days in the hands of kidnappers after being abducted from his farm in broad daylight on December 12, 2025. As of Tuesday, August 4, 2026, the septuagenarian remains in captivity, with his family enduring months of agonising uncertainty despite paying a ransom of N6 million to his abductors.
Babatege was abducted on a Friday afternoon from his farm located behind St. Kizito's College in Isanlu, Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State. According to eyewitness accounts, the kidnappers invaded the farmland in broad daylight, seized the farmer, and disappeared into the surrounding bushes before help could arrive. The abduction sparked immediate tension across the community, where residents had been complaining of increasing cases of kidnapping despite repeated appeals for improved security.
The family's ordeal has been compounded by the kidnappers' refusal to release Babatege even after a ransom was paid. According to SaharaReporters, the abductors collected N6 million from the family under intense pressure but failed to free him, instead escalating their demands. They subsequently re-established contact with the family, demanding an additional N14 million alongside two Bajaj motorcycles as fresh conditions for his release. The family, already drained by the initial payment, has been left in a state of despair, unable to meet the new demands.
A resident who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity called on the Kogi State Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to locate and rescue the farmer. "We call on the Kogi State Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to locate and rescue him safely," the resident said. More than seven months after the abduction, Babatege's whereabouts remain unknown, with renewed appeals for security agencies to intensify efforts to secure his release. The prolonged ordeal has left his family, colleagues and loved ones enduring months of uncertainty over his safety.
The abduction of Babatege is part of a broader wave of kidnapping and insecurity that has plagued Kogi State, particularly in the Yagba East and Yagba West Local Government Areas. In December 2025, just days after Babatege's abduction, gunmen invaded Okunran community in Yagba West LGA and abducted a resident, further heightening fears in the region. In a separate incident in November 2025, bandits abducted 14 worshippers from the Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West LGA, including six children from the pastor's household, demanding a N200 million ransom. The Kogi State Government has faced mounting criticism for its perceived silence and inaction in the face of these recurring abductions, with community members and families urging immediate action to rescue victims and intensify patrols around farms and school corridors.
As of the time of this report, security agencies had not issued an official statement on Babatege's case, and the Kogi State Government had yet to provide clear updates on efforts to rescue him. For the family of the farmer known as "Old Soldier," the wait continues, with each passing day deepening the anguish of a loved one held in captivity for nearly eight months.
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