By Joseph Amedu,
Lokoja
Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have in Kogi State, abducted 40 eligible voters travelling back in a bus after participating in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise being conducted by INEC.
They were kidnapped along Dekina-Ajiyolo-Anyigba road at about 6pm on Friday, 7th of November 2025.
The victims who were mostly residents of Abocho community and its environs had chattered a bus to convey them to Dekina the LGA headquarters to enable them participate in the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise.
Eye witness said that on their way back to Abocho after the successful exercise, they were ambushed and forcefully abducted by fully armed kidnappers numbering over 20.
The news of the mass abduction sent panic waves to the communities thereby generating tension and anxieties.
Relief however, came later as troops of 12 Brigade in Lokoja in collaboration with local security network gave the kidnappers a hot chase.
The efforts paid off when the kidnappers abandoned some of the victims and escaped with few others.
“The kidnappers played a fast one on us, they released about 31 of their victims, and we thought that was all and we relaxed not knowing that they simply used those ones for us to calm down.
“But before we realized their tricks, they had gone far with about 10 victims.
“When the profile of the victims were taken, it was realized that there are about 10 members of the community still missing including the driver of the bus, ” one of the people that participated in the rescue operation said.
It was learnt that the bus was recovered and taken to Abocho police station while security agencies continued their search for the remaining 10 victims in custody of the kidnappers.
The security agencies has vowed to track the kidnappers until the remaining ten captives are freed.
Efforts to confirm the incident from the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP, William Ovye Aya failed as he could not respond to calls and text messages.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
