An undetermined number of residents are feared abducted after suspected bandits launched a brazen early-morning attack on Omi-Ara community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The attack reportedly occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, throwing the quiet community into panic. As of the time of filing this report, the exact number of victims and their identities had yet to be confirmed.
Residents said security agencies were alerted shortly after the incident, but the Kogi State Police Command had not issued an official statement. Repeated calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP William Aya, went unanswered, while text messages sent to him had not been acknowledged.
Witnesses described the raid as terrifying, with sustained gunfire ringing through the community as residents fled for safety.
The attack adds to growing security concerns in the Yagba axis, which has recorded a spike in kidnapping incidents in recent months. Between August and November, suspected bandits attacked two churches in the area—a Cherubim and Seraphim church and an ECWA church—abducting a pastor and his wife.
In a related incident on Sunday night, the nearby Odo-Ere community was also attacked, resulting in the abduction of at least four residents. Those taken during the raid were identified as Shina Ajere, Kehinde Afolabi, Damilola Ogun, and a woman popularly known in the community as Iya Lara.
As of Tuesday, residents said the full scale of the abductions in Omi-Ara remained unclear, heightening fear and uncertainty across the area.
Community leaders and residents have appealed to security agencies and the Kogi State Government to urgently deploy additional personnel, restore calm, and intensify efforts to secure the release of those abducted.
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