Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ayegunle Bunu community in Kabba‑Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State was thrown into chaos in the early hours of Monday, June 1, 2026, when a large gang of armed bandits stormed the settlement, leaving one person dead and more than 30 others abducted. According to preliminary reports gathered by Stone Reporters News, the attack occurred at approximately 2:25 a.m., with the assailants firing sporadically to instil terror before whisking away their victims. One resident was killed during the assault, and another sustained injuries. Among the abducted were two indigene of Ayegunle Bunu – a man and a woman. The remaining victims were passengers travelling in a commercial bus that was intercepted by the attackers as it passed through the area.
The attack is the latest in a long list of deadly incidents that have turned the Kabba‑Bunu axis into one of Kogi State’s most volatile security corridors. The Bunu district has suffered repeated raids in recent years, with armed groups exploiting the dense forest networks that criss‑cross the region to launch hit‑and‑run attacks on farming communities, highways and places of worship. In December 2025, gunmen abducted 37 worshippers from an ECWA church in the neighbouring Aiyetoro‑Kiri community, killing three of them even after a N15 million ransom was paid. In April 2026, bandits struck the Odae‑Bunu community, abducting an unspecified number of residents in an attack that later surfaced on a viral video showing victims being flogged in captivity. In May 2026, a health worker popularly known as “Dr Ebi” and his wife were abducted from their home in the Oke Bukun area, with the kidnappers demanding N150 million for their release. Residents of Bunu land have repeatedly accused security agencies of negligence and demanded urgent government intervention. In a statement earlier this year, a former governorship candidate, Otunba Olayinka Braimoh, condemned the “senseless killings and kidnappings of Bunu people for ransom,” warning that the persistent attacks were displacing entire communities and destroying agricultural livelihoods.
Monday’s attack on Ayegunle Bunu is particularly striking because of the number of victims involved. Over 30 persons – a combination of local residents and travellers caught on the highway – were taken in a single operation, a scale that suggests the bandits were well‑armed and highly coordinated. The interception of a commercial bus is a particularly worrying development. Armed gangs have increasingly targeted passenger vehicles on the busy Kabba‑Lokoja‑Abuja corridor, knowing that such attacks generate massive ransom sums from families desperate to secure the release of their loved ones. In April 2026, a Lagos‑Abuja bus was similarly ambushed on the Ayere‑Kabba Road, leading to the kidnapping of several passengers. Seven suspects were later arrested, but the frequency of such attacks has only intensified.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kogi State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the Ayegunle Bunu incident. The Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, SP Afusat Saliu, did not respond to phone calls and text messages seeking confirmation. The Kogi State Government has also remained silent, despite Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s repeated promises to “take the fight to bandits in their hideouts.” The state government had previously ordered the temporary closure of selected markets and motor parks across Kogi West Senatorial District, including Aiyegunle Bunu, as part of efforts to disrupt the logistics of criminal networks. But the closures have done little to stop the raids, which continue almost weekly.
The attack on Ayegunle Bunu will likely intensify calls for the deployment of additional security forces to Kabba‑Bunu LGA. Community leaders have long demanded the establishment of a permanent military base in the area, arguing that the response time of security agencies is too slow to prevent attacks. A source in the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Stone Reporters News that the bandits operated for nearly an hour before withdrawing into the forest. “They knew exactly where to strike. They were not in a hurry. They took their time to select their victims,” the source said.
Residents of Ayegunle Bunu are now in a state of shock and fear. Many have begun moving their families to neighbouring towns for safety. The injured victim is receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility, while the body of the deceased has been prepared for burial in line with local customs. The families of the abducted are now bracing for what they know will come next: a ransom demand, the frantic search for money, and the agonising wait for a phone call that may never come. For the passengers of the intercepted bus, many of whom were simply travellers passing through, the journey has turned into a nightmare that no ticket could have predicted.
As of Monday evening, no group had claimed responsibility for the attack, and security agencies had not announced any rescue operation. The silence from official quarters has only deepened the anxiety of the affected families. One relative of an abducted victim, who asked not to be named, told Stone Reporters News: “We are waiting for them to call. We are waiting to hear what they want. We are waiting for the government to do something. That is all we can do – wait.”
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