By John Dike, Osogbo
A Tiv community leader at Egbe in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, has been kidnapped by suspected armed bandits, thus heightening tension in the area.
He was reportedly kidnapped on Thursday, while working on his farm at the Aru farm settlement in the area.
Sources within the community disclosed that the gunmen stormed the farm and forcefully whisked the victim away to an unknown destination, leaving
residents in fear and uncertainty.
The latest incident has further heightened insecurity concerns in Yagba West, coming barely days after a series of attacks were recorded across the local government.
Residents revealed that between March 2 and March 3, several communities experienced violent attacks by suspected bandits.
In one of the incidents, a commercial driver identified as Toba Festus was abducted on March 2 around the Lawiri River area in Odo-Ere.
Barely 24 hours later, gunmen attacked the Bareke community in Egbe, where a resident, Juwon Ajisafe, sustained gunshot injuries during the assault and was later confirmed dead.
In another related incident on the same day, Gbenga Akolo, a resident of Koro in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, was kidnapped along the Egbe–Koro road, further raising concerns over the worsening security situation around the Yagba axis.
The wave of attacks has created panic among residents, particularly farmers who depend heavily on agriculture for their livelihood.
Many villagers now reportedly avoid going to their farms for fear of being attacked or abducted by armed groups operating within the forested areas surrounding the communities.
Community members have therefore appealed to security agencies and the Kogi State Government to urgently strengthen security presence in Yagba West to halt the rising wave of kidnappings and violent attacks.
They warned that failure to address the situation could further threaten farming activities and the safety of residents in the affected communities.
Efforts to reach security authorities for official confirmation of the latest abduction were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
