Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
An Egbe-based rewire identified as Agbile has been kidnapped while travelling to work along the Okunran–Okoloke Road in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. The incident occurred on Monday morning, September 21, 2026, when armed bandits intercepted him on the rural stretch of road that has become notorious for repeated abductions in recent months. According to reports, Agbile was on his way to work when the attackers struck, seizing him and disappearing into the surrounding bush before help could arrive.
Sources said security operatives have been alerted about the incident and are expected to respond to the situation. As of the time of filing this report, the circumstances surrounding the abduction and the whereabouts of the victim remained unclear. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the police have not issued an official statement on the incident. Residents along the axis have been advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement to the appropriate security authorities.
The Okunran–Okoloke corridor has earned a grim reputation as a killing field for commuters and farmers. In February 2026, troops of the Nigerian Army stationed in Okoloke thwarted an attempted kidnapping along the same road, rescuing three individuals who were ambushed by suspected armed bandits. The attackers had emerged from the bush and attempted to intercept the victims' vehicle before troops on routine patrol intervened. A locally fabricated AK-47 rifle was recovered from the scene as the assailants fled into the surrounding bush.
The pattern of violence has only intensified since then. In April 2026, gunmen abducted three individuals, including a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God and his wife, in Odo-Eri, Yagba West. Emerging intelligence suggested the attackers attempted to escape through Abewo Road, located between Okunran and Okoloke, with a possible route leading into Kwara State. In January 2026, bandits struck along the Egbe-Okoloke Road, kidnapping a resident named Lanlege in broad daylight. He was later released after an undisclosed ransom was paid. That same month, bandits attacked the Okunran community, turning it into a ghost town as hundreds of residents fled their homes.
The human toll has been devastating. In August 2026, armed men abducted four persons from Okoloke community, while a father and his two children were kidnapped in Odo-Ere. Earlier in the year, a traditional ruler from Oke-Ere community was abducted while working on his farm and later died in captivity. In March, one person was killed and three others abducted in the Idi Ogun area of Bareke, Egbe. The abduction of Mr Adekunle, a farmer from Okua community in Egbe, who was held for approximately one month before regaining his freedom on September 17, 2026, remains fresh in the memory of residents.
Data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project showed that Kogi State recorded at least 150 fatalities and 365 abductions linked to armed violence between January and mid-December 2025, with Yagba West among the worst-affected areas. The violence has forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes, abandoned farms, and left communities like Okunran as ghost settlements. Agriculture, the lifeblood of the region, has been crippled. Farmers are being systematically targeted, their livelihoods destroyed, and their families torn apart.
The Kogi State Government has acknowledged the severity of the situation. Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo has visited Yagba West multiple times, vowing to stamp out criminality in the area. The establishment of a military base in Egbe was welcomed as a step toward restoring security, but the persistence of attacks suggests that more needs to be done. The state government has imposed curfews, deployed additional troops, and promised to support security agencies with logistics and other assistance. Yet the abductions continue, and the people of Yagba West remain trapped in a cycle of violence that shows no sign of ending.
For the family of Agbile, the morning began with the ordinary routine of leaving for work. It has become a nightmare from which they cannot wake. Their loved one is in the hands of armed men, and the only thing they can do is wait and pray. The people of Egbe and the wider Yagba West community know this pain all too well. They have buried their dead, paid ransoms for their loved ones, and watched their communities empty out as fear drives families away. The question on everyone's lips is the same: how many more must be taken before the government takes decisive action to secure this road and protect its people?
As security operatives mobilise to respond to the latest abduction, the people of Yagba West are left to grapple with a familiar and terrifying reality. The Okunran–Okoloke Road, once a lifeline connecting communities to markets and farms, has become a corridor of fear. Until the government addresses the root causes of the violence and deploys sustained security resources to the area, the abductions will continue, and the people of Yagba West will continue to live under the shadow of terror.
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