Bandits Kidnap Six Residents In Kogi As Ex-Governorship Candidate Laments Rising Insecurity
The abduction took place on Thursday amid the prevailing security crisis bedevilling the state.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits have kidnapped six persons in the Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, SaharaReporters has learnt.
The abduction took place on Thursday amid the prevailing security crisis bedevilling the state.
According to sources, the gunmen stormed the LGA shooting sporadically before they seized the kidnapped victims.
One of the sources, who preferred to be anonymous, said the victims were immediately marched into the forests.
He revealed that among the victims reportedly kidnapped are Johnson Enoch, Dupe Akoro Barinkin, Elder Maiye, and three others.
“Unfortunately, these have been the routine kidnap cases across Bunu land such that the people now move out of their ancestral homes in search of safety,” the source said.
Efforts to reach out the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye Aya, to confirm the incident proved abortive as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, a former governorship candidate of the Action Alliance in Kogi State, Olayinka Braimoh has raised the alarm over the consistent kidnapping in the Kabba Bunu Local Government Area of the state.
Braimoh, who disclosed this in a statement through his campaign office on Saturday, lamented that nowhere was safe in Kabba Land.
He called on the Nigerian government to quickly intervene before things get out of hand.
“Just a little while ago, I got another distressed call from my people in Ayetoro-Kiri, located in the Kabba-Bunu Local government area of Kogi state. They reported that yet another set of our community members have been kidnapped,” he stated.
While expressing his frustration over the sad development, Braimoh said “It’s truly disheartening to witness how some influential figures in our society choose to ignore the daily kidnappings and killings affecting our people in Bunu.
“Instead, they seem more interested in praising the state government while there is palpable fear of insecurity in the land.
“They are well aware that the state government budgets significant funds for security, yet we see no real investment in protecting the lives and property of the Bunu people. What good is the people’s vote if the state government can’t ensure their safety?”
“There are those who question what we, as individuals, are doing to tackle the rising insecurity in our area. Between those of us in private business and the state government, which is responsible for the safety of its citizens and has access to vast security budgets running into billions of naira, who should be more concerned?
“Given the security resources at the state’s disposal, how can anyone compare the efforts of private citizens to those of the state governor, who has the full authority to allocate the necessary resources to effectively address this insecurity?”
“The local vigilantes and hunters, armed only with their traditional tools, find themselves outmatched as they try to defend our lands from the invaders. Unfortunately, they struggle to stand up to the criminals, who often come equipped with high-tech weaponry and in overwhelming numbers.
“This is why many concerned residents of Bunu land are now calling on the federal government to step in and deploy all necessary measures that can bring a lasting peace to Bunu land .
“We urgently need this intervention before we are completely wiped out. This is a serious issue that needs immediate action, and we sincerely hope the federal government of Nigeria will take the right steps.”
