Gunmen Abduct Medical Worker and Wife in Fresh Attack on Kogi Community
Residents in Iluke thrown into panic as renewed kidnappings heighten insecurity in Bunu district
Gunmen have abducted a community health worker and his wife in Iluke, Kabba-Bunu LGA of Kogi State, in a fresh attack that has intensified fears over rising insecurity in the area.
Unknown gunmen on Thursday invaded Iluke, a major settlement in the Bunu district of Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area, Kogi State, abducting a community health worker known locally as “Dr. Ebi” (omo Kemuna) and his wife.
The attackers were said to have stormed the Okebukun area of the community around 1 a.m., whisking away the victims on motorcycles after the operation.
Eyewitness accounts said the gunmen, after taking the victims, fired sporadic gunshots as they fled the scene, causing panic among residents and heightening tension in the area.
The incident reportedly triggered fear in neighbouring communities in Mopamuro and Ijumu local government areas, where residents woke up to the news of the attack.
Iluke and surrounding communities in the Bunu district have experienced repeated security breaches in recent times, with residents expressing growing concern over persistent kidnappings and armed attacks.
On May 4, gunmen were also reported to have attacked the Iluke–Oferre road, shooting indiscriminately and forcing a commercial driver, Jacob, to stop before he was taken into the bush at gunpoint.
The abductors allegedly demanded a ransom of ₦50 million for his release, which was yet to be resolved at the time of reporting.
In another earlier incident on April 16, gunmen reportedly kidnapped two wives, two children, and an aide of a traditional ruler identified as “Prof. Wonder,” the paramount ruler of Odai, a nearby agrarian community.
The kidnappers were said to have demanded ₦150 million for their release, and when the ransom was delayed, two of the monarch’s children were allegedly killed, with images of the incident circulated online.
A source further claimed that the monarch later fell ill and was hospitalised while negotiations continued, adding that the abductors had insisted he personally deliver the ransom.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kogi State Police Command had not issued an official update, although the spokesperson, ASP Saliu Afuzat Oyiza, was said to have promised a response after inquiries.
