15 snatched from highway, rescued from kidnappers’ custody in Kogi

A High-Stakes Rescue Operation

For the 15 passengers who boarded a Peace Mass Transit bus along the Itobe–Anyigba highway on Sunday, August 9, 2026, what began as an ordinary journey quickly turned into a terrifying ordeal. Armed men intercepted their vehicle and marched them into the surrounding forest, triggering an immediate security crisis.

Among those taken into captivity were three children and two personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). The victims were abducted at about 4:00 PM between Ojuwo Ajengo and Mamerebo, an area identified as a kidnapping flashpoint along the Itobe–Achigili axis of Ofu Local Government Area in Kogi State.

Hours after the abduction, the victims found themselves at the centre of a coordinated security operation. Following an immediate order by the Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, tactical and intelligence assets were deployed to track the kidnappers and secure the hostages.

Fatal Confrontation in the Forest

The rescue operation brought together personnel from the Police, 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and local vigilantes. As security operatives closed in on the hideout, the encounter escalated into a fierce gun battle.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, several kidnappers were neutralised during the encounter, while others fled into the surrounding forest. However, the victory came at a cost; a local vigilante member supporting the operation was killed, and a police officer sustained gunshot injuries.

Despite the resistance, the security operatives closed in on the abductors and successfully rescued all 15 victims directly from their custody.

— ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, Police Public Relations Officer, Kogi State Police Command

The rescued victims, including 12 adults and three children, were found safe and unharmed. They have been identified as CRC I. Ibe, SRC Ik. Ukandu, Josephbah, Joshua Daniel, Joy Ogbu, Chigocife Ogbu, Charity Aneebo, Ngozi Stephin, Somaliya Zegu, Chidera Emanuel, Pamela Oraeto, Abakwam Loveth, Chimereze Nekuma, Chibok Nzekwu, and Victor Edozi Anyichie.

Addressing Highway Vulnerability

The abduction highlights the persistent vulnerability of travellers along the Itobe–Anyigba highway. Stretches of roads passing through isolated areas, particularly around Ojuwo Ajengo and Mamerebo, remain significant risks for motorists and passengers when armed criminals take advantage of the dense terrain.

While the 15 victims are now safe, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects. Tactical operations are being sustained in the area, alongside three other coordinated security actions across the state aimed at disrupting criminal networks.

Authorities have urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide timely information to assist security agencies. For the 15 rescued passengers, a journey that could have ended in tragedy was instead cut short by a rapid, inter-agency intervention that brought them out of the forest alive.