THE Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the rescue of eight kidnapped victims who were abducted along the Okene–Auchi highway.
The incident occurred on September 26 when a Toyota Hiace commuter bus belonging to Big Joe Ventures Ltd, with registration number Edo FUG 13 XY, was attacked by armed men at Tyre village in Okene Local Government Area.
The vehicle, which was conveying 12 passengers from Abuja to Benin in Edo State, was intercepted by the assailants, who whisked the passengers into the bush.
In a statement obtained by The ICIR on Saturday, September 27, the Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, William Ovye Aya, said the police and other security agencies acted swiftly following the report of the abduction.
According to Aya, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Okene Division, Nasir Muhammad, immediately mobilised personnel in collaboration with the military and local vigilantes in pursuit of the kidnappers.
He noted that the operation led to the rescue of eight victims, including the driver of the bus.
“In the process, eight victims, including the driver, were rescued unhurt while efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining four passengers and apprehend the perpetrators of the crime,” he stated.
Security sources said the kidnappers were nine in number and dressed in military camouflage during the attack. They added that the joint security team recovered expended ammunition at the scene of the confrontation.
He stressed that the area was still being combed by operatives to locate the remaining victims.
The Kogi police spokesperson assured the public that all available resources had been deployed to ensure the safe rescue of the other passengers still in captivity.
He appealed to residents to provide useful information that could aid ongoing operations.
“The Commissioner of Police has directed that the search and rescue operations should continue until the remaining victims are freed and the criminals arrested. We urge members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies, Aya stated.
The Kogi police command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property, stressing that it would not relent until criminal networks operating in the state are dismantled.
The attack was the latest in a series of abductions that have plagued major highways linking the Federal Capital Territory and the southern parts of the country.
The Okene–Auchi road has become one of the flashpoints where travellers face repeated threats of kidnapping and armed robbery.
Security analysts have repeatedly warned that criminal gangs operating across central Nigeria often disguise themselves in military uniforms to mislead unsuspecting travellers and gain an upper hand during attacks.
Kogi State in North Central Nigeria has been a hotbed of insecurity and kidnappings in recent years.
Just last week, it was reported that a newly called lawyer to the bar, Onyesom Peace Udoka, was kidnapped alongside her sister in Kogi while returning home from her Call to Bar ceremony.
It was gathered that the abduction occurred around Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday, September 27, 2025, just days after she was called to the bar.
In a public appeal for help, one of her colleagues posted, “My friend and colleague has been kidnapped on her way home from the Call To Bar ceremony. Please, we need help. There’s a 20 million naira ransom for her and her sister”.
It was reported that she was on a vehicle from Abuja to Benin, the Edo State capital, when she was abducted
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