Terror has gripped Kogi West Senatorial District, the Yoruba-speaking part of Kogi State, as heavily armed bandits tighten their hold on rural communities.
Residents across the seven Local Government Areas of the region now live in fear, with many abandoning their homes for safety.
Those who remain say life has turned into a nightmare marked by midnight attacks, kidnappings, and killings.
The latest bloodshed occurred in Bareke, Egbe, in Yagba West LGA, where gunmen invaded the community around 2 a.m., killing 27 people and injuring several others.
Witnesses said the attackers stormed homes, shooting indiscriminately, burning buildings, and abducting residents, including the wife and children of a local farmer. The massacre took place just meters from the home of Senator Sunday Karimi, highlighting how close the violence has crept to areas once considered safe.
Villagers describe a wave of terror that has swept through Mopamuro, Kabba-Bunu, and Yagba East LGAs, where night raids and road ambushes have become common.
Gunmen reportedly ride motorcycles into villages, surround homes, and abduct families before setting properties ablaze.
Roads linking Kabba, Egbe, and Lokoja have become deadly traps, with frequent attacks on travellers and police checkpoints.
Earlier this year, the Okun Development Association (ODA), representing Yoruba-speaking Kogi residents, warned of worsening insecurity.
Its President-General, Akenson Rotimi, lamented the collapse of farming, trade, and local businesses due to fear of bandits.
“Our people no longer feel safe returning home. Farmers can’t go to their farms, and markets are empty,” he said.
Investigations revealed that many of the attackers relocated from the North-West and North-Central regions, taking refuge in the ungoverned forests of Kogi West.
Security operatives have arrested several suspects, including locals accused of supplying the bandits with food and fuel.
Governor Usman Ododo, who visited the affected areas, blamed illegal and unregulated mining for fueling the crisis.
He said criminal groups had turned mining sites in Yagba, Kabba-Bunu, and Ijumu LGAs into operational bases.
Ododo announced an immediate ban on mining activities across Kogi West and ordered the sealing of illegal sites.
“We will dismantle these networks and bring every collaborator to justice,” he vowed.
Community leaders, including the President of Okun Renaissance Union, Temitope Bamkefa, warned that Kogi West risked turning into “another Benue or Plateau” if the federal government failed to act swiftly.
He said poor roads and limited security presence had emboldened the invaders.
Despite ongoing military operations, including Operation Accord III, the attackers continue to strike with precision and confidence.
As villages empty out and schools shut down, many fear the region could fall completely into the hands of bandits unless urgent federal intervention comes.
Post Views: 148
