TERROR ON THE HIGHWAY: Gunmen Abduct Seven Travellers in Kogi, One Woman Escapes

Fear gripped commuters in Kogi State on Wednesday evening as gunmen struck along the Kabba–Benue highway, abducting seven passengers in a daring ambush.

Security analyst, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the chilling incident in a post on X, confirming that security patrols later found an abandoned ash-coloured Toyota Avensis with registration number KTU 503 CV by the roadside near Ojuwo Olijo forest.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the vehicle had eight occupants travelling from Kabba en route to Benue State when the assailants laid siege.

“Seven passengers were dragged into the bush, while one female occupant, identified as Elizabeth Istifanu from Kabba, miraculously escaped,” Makama reported.

Following the attack, soldiers, police operatives, and local vigilantes swiftly mobilised for a coordinated search-and-rescue mission. Intense bush-combing operations were launched overnight to track the kidnappers and secure the release of the victims.

The brazen assault adds to growing concerns over highway insecurity in the North-Central region, where kidnapping-for-ransom syndicates continue to terrorise travellers despite military operations.