Bashir MusaThe Nigerian Army has confirmed the rescue of 21 passengers who were abducted along the Obajana–Oshokoshoko road in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, Lokoja, Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, confirmed the development on Saturday while responding to inquiries regarding the attack.
Suspected bandits reportedly attacked travelers along the Osokoko–Obajana highway, abducting passengers from several vehicles.
Eyewitnesses said a commercial 18-seater bus and other vehicles were involved in the attack.
The assailants reportedly blocked the road at around 2:30 p.m., stopping vehicles that ran into their barricade and forcibly abducting passengers into the bush before security operatives arrived.
However, Lt. Abdullahi said that the 21 passengers were rescued after troops of the brigade, in collaboration with intelligence operatives, local hunters, and other security personnel, engaged the kidnappers in a gunfire exchange.
He added that operations are ongoing to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
A relative of one of the kidnapped passengers, who requested anonymity, said his younger brother was traveling from Owo, Ondo State, to Abuja when the vehicle was ambushed a few kilometers from Obajana town.
He added that the kidnappers later called, demanding N40 million as ransom.
“I received a call on Friday from my brother’s abductors demanding N40 million for his release. He was coming to Lokoja to inform our mother about my traditional wedding scheduled for next Friday,” he said.
A security source revealed that eight of the rescued passengers belonged to two biological families, and two drivers of the affected journey were also freed.
“Two families lost four members each in the incident, and all were rescued. Two drivers, a truck driver and a bus driver, were also among those freed,” the source said.
Meanwhile, Kogi State Governor, Usman Ahmed Ododo, has vowed to take the fight to criminal hideouts rather than wait for attacks on highways and communities.
Speaking at an emergency meeting with security agencies and traditional rulers at the Government House in Lokoja on Thursday, the governor said intelligence reports indicated that some top bandit leaders had relocated to the state in recent days.
He assured that security agencies had tracked key commanders and that decisive action would be taken.
“The major commanders of the bandits have relocated to Kogi State for the past three days. We will not wait for them to attack us; we will take the fight to them.
We will not bow to criminals, we will not negotiate with them, we will not pay ransom, but we will sensitize our people to be security conscious,” the governor said.
