Just In: Panic as Bandits Strike Again in Kogi, Abduct 2 Days After Kidnapping RCCG Pastor

• Bandits have struck the Odo-Eri community in Kogi again, abducting two residents just days after an earlier attack was reported
• Residents recounted renewed fear following the kidnapping of an RCCG pastor and family in the same area
• Community members also alleged repeated attacks with limited security response, as tension has continued to rise locally

Residents of Odo-Eri community in Yagba West local government area of Kogi state are once again living in fear following a fresh attack by suspected armed bandits who abducted two individuals on Friday evening, April 24.

The latest incident, according to multiple community sources who spoke with Legit.ng, comes barely 48 hours after the bandits invaded the same community and kidnapped a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), alongside his wife, children, and several other residents.

Legit.ng gathered that the victims of Friday’s attack have been identified as Deji Ajigbewu, a native of the Okoto area in Odo-Eri, and Abayomi Oloniyo Odole, also a resident of the community.

Read also

Breaking: Bandits forced to flee as top northern community resists deadly attack, details emerge

Community sources said the armed men stormed the area during the evening hours, firing sporadically to scare residents before whisking the victims away to an unknown destination.

Kogi: Community sources react to incident

A community member, who identified himself simply as John, described the situation as alarming and heartbreaking. He noted that repeated appeals to both the state government and security agencies have yielded no meaningful response.

“We have cried out many times to the government and security agencies, but nothing has changed. These attacks keep happening, and nobody is coming to help us,” John told Legit.ng.

“People are already considering leaving this community because we don’t feel safe anymore. If nothing is done urgently, everyone will run away. We cannot continue like this.”

John further disclosed that the atmosphere in the community has remained tense since the abduction of the RCCG pastor and his family earlier in the week.

“Since the pastor and his family were kidnapped on Wednesday, churches have stopped holding services. The bandits threatened to attack the church again, and people are too afraid to gather,” John said.

Read also

Just In: Tears as gunmen kill Nigerian monarch, wife, son, others in Benue

According to him, the latest attack has heightened fear among residents, many of whom now avoid going out in the evenings.

“Now they have returned and kidnapped two more people. Everybody is living in fear. Once it starts getting dark, people rush indoors. There is no sense of security at all,” he said.

Another resident also expressed frustration over what they described as the absence of a visible security presence, despite ongoing reports of attacks.

“We hardly see security personnel around here. It is as if we have been abandoned. We need urgent intervention before things get completely out of hand,” the resident said.

Terrorists kill traveller, kidnap two in Kwara

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that suspected terrorists attacked the Egbe–Koro highway in Kwara state. They killed a traveller and abducted two others during an ambush on commuters along the busy border route.

The armed attackers reportedly intercepted vehicles, opened fire on travellers, and caused panic in the area, with one victim, identified as Eri Okan, dying on the spot.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng