Kidnapped Victims Escape After Bandits Dozed Off in Kogi Forest.
There was a rare moment of relief for families in Kogi State over the weekend after three passengers abducted along a troubled road managed to slip away from their captors. The escape happened not because of a rescue operation, but because the armed men holding them reportedly dozed off deep inside a forest.
The incident occurred on Saturday along the Itobe-Ajegwu-Anyigba road in Ofu local government area. This road has become a source of worry for locals, but this latest event ended a little differently than most.
According to information gathered by Toktok9ja, the kidnappers targeted two buses carrying travellers. In the chaos that followed, a motorcycle rider was also swept up and taken into the bush alongside the other victims.
A resident of the area, Ahiaba Michael, told our reporter that local security teams, including vigilantes and hunters, moved in shortly after the attack. They combed the area but could not immediately locate the gang or rescue the captives.
But the story took an unexpected turn barely three hours after the abduction.
A security source confirmed that one Monday Agi was arrested in connection with the incident. The suspect was picked up after he reportedly lost his way while trying to flee. According to the source, the pressure from security personnel had thrown the area into confusion, and Agi simply could not find his way out.
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When questioned, Agi told a strange story. He claimed he had been riding on a trailer coming from Ekiti State but decided to get off around the scene of the incident. From there, he said he planned to trek the rest of the journey to his destination.
“He said when he heard gunshots, he ran into the bush with two herders he claimed he did not even know,” the source added.
Police authorities have since taken the suspect into custody. Meanwhile, the search for the rest of the armed group is still ongoing.
While security operatives were still combing the bushes, three of the kidnapped people quietly freed themselves. They gave their names as Micheal Adejo, Monday, and Mariam Yakubu.
Speaking after they found their way back to safety, the trio explained that the gang that took them consisted of about ten men. The captors were armed with AK-47 rifles and pump-action guns.
“The bus I boarded suddenly ran into their barricade. When we stopped, they ordered everyone out. They were holding AK-47 rifles and pump-action guns,” one of the escapees recalled.
He added that the second bus behind them was shot at, and the driver lost control, crashing into some cashew trees. That was when the kidnappers gathered everyone from both vehicles and marched them into the forest.
But later, something unexpected happened. The armed men, perhaps tired from the operation or overconfident that their captives had no place to run, began to doze off one after the other.
“We waited until we were sure they were deeply asleep. Then we just made a run for it. We didn’t look back,” Mariam Yakubu said.
The three escapees are now receiving attention and are helping the authorities with information that could lead to the arrest of the remaining gang members.
Kidnapped Victims Escape After Bandits Dozed Off in Kogi Forest.
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