At least 27 people were killed on Saturday when heavily armed bandits launched a deadly attack on communities in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to a military source, the assailants were heavily armed and equipped with sophisticated weapons. “Bandits killed 27 people in Yagba West, Kogi State, just yesterday, and it was not reported. They invaded the area with heavy weapons,” the source said.
Yagba West, the home local government of Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Services, has recently come under a series of deadly bandit attacks.
On Friday, bandits struck again in Bareke, Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area, targeting a residential home around 2 a.m. They abducted a woman and her two children, while her husband narrowly escaped with injuries. The incident occurred near the residence of Senator Karimi in Egbe.
“The woman and two of her children were kidnapped right from their house around 2 a.m. in the early hours of Friday, while her husband escaped with wounds,” a community source said.
The attack followed another incident in Ejiba on Thursday, where a commercial bus was ambushed, and all passengers were kidnapped. During the assault, a motorcyclist was reportedly killed.
These incidents have heightened fears among residents about the rising wave of insecurity in Yagba West, where communities continue to suffer repeated attacks.
In another attack, bandits stormed Bethel Farm in Ejiba, Yagba West LGA, on the night of Wednesday, October 1, kidnapping three individuals. Earlier that day, along the route between Ejiba and Odo-Eri, the gang attacked a bread distributor, shooting one of the staff members.
Photographs from the scene showed a burnt motorcycle believed to belong to vigilante officers who confronted the bandits during the night raid.
Just last week, a video emerged showing Okunran, a community in Yagba West LGA, completely deserted after residents fled following a series of deadly attacks. The footage depicted abandoned homes and empty streets, highlighting the mass exodus of locals seeking safety.
In the wake of the escalating violence, residents have continued to call for urgent government intervention to restore peace and security in the area.
