Fear is growing in the quiet farming community of Okoloke in Kogi State, where gunmen have struck for the third time in just seven days.
In the early hours of Tuesday, May 20, armed men stormed the area and abducted four residents, including a respected retiree, Pa Ezekiel Durojaiye, from nearby Okunran village.
Locals say the attackers forced their way into his home and dragged him out at gunpoint, along with three others, before disappearing into the surrounding forest.
“They took him at gunpoint,” a local source said, his voice laced with worry. “We’re all scared. No one feels safe anymore.”
This latest abduction adds to a disturbing pattern. Just last Thursday, the traditional ruler of the village, Oba James Dada Ogunyamda, was kidnapped.
Three days later, two local vigilante members and another resident were also taken. That brings the total number of kidnapped individuals to eight, within one week, and all from the same local government area, Yagba West.
The family of the 90-year-old monarch revealed that the kidnappers initially demanded ₦100 million for his release, but later reduced it to ₦50 million.
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They’ve since issued a public plea for help from government authorities, private organisations, and well-meaning Nigerians to raise the ransom.
Despite assurances from local officials and the police, there has been little progress in securing the victims’ freedom. Yagba West Chairman Tosin Olokun and the Kogi State Police Command both say rescue efforts are ongoing, but no confirmed breakthroughs have been reported.
On a more hopeful note, the police said on Monday that a combined security team rescued three victims during an operation in Ankomi Forest.
According to Kogi police spokesperson William Aya, the rescue involved officers from the Obajana Division, the Nigerian Army, and Fulani vigilantes.
“The hoodlums, overwhelmed by the superior firepower of the operatives, abandoned the victims and escaped with bullet wounds,” Aya said in a statement. The victims were rescued unhurt.
Still, for residents of Okoloke and surrounding villages, the fear lingers. With kidnappers growing bolder and lives hanging in the balance, the community is left waiting, and hoping, for a return to peace.