In the early hours of Friday, armed assailants believed to be bandits raided a family home in Egbe, abducting a mother and her two children, while the father narrowly escaped after sustaining gunshot injuries.
Reports indicate that the father was shot twice as he tried to resist the kidnappers and prevent the abduction.
The incident took place in Egbe, the administrative center of Yagba West Local Government Area in Kogi State, according to a source from the Kogi State Vigilante group.
The source revealed, “At around 2 a.m. on Friday, unknown gunmen attacked the residence of one Tokpe Gody in Bareke-Egbe, forcibly taking his wife and two children.”
While medical staff at Egbe Hospital are working to stabilize the critically injured husband, the kidnappers have reportedly demanded a ransom of N100 million for the safe return of the abducted family members.
A member of the Kogi State Vigilante leadership, who requested anonymity, disclosed, “We received a call this morning from the kidnappers using a private number. They insisted on a N100 million ransom before releasing the victims.”
Local security officials noted that Tokpe’s condition remains serious, and he may need to be transferred to the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) in Lokoja for advanced treatment.
It has been observed that bandit attacks in the Okun region of Kogi West have become almost daily occurrences over the past five months, starting with the abduction of the paramount ruler of Okeloke in May.
The heavily armed criminals operating in this area show blatant disregard for law enforcement, having killed several police officers and vigilante members during their raids.
Attempts to obtain a statement from the Kogi State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye Aya, did not respond to calls or messages.