Gunmen suspected to be bandits have killed three individuals in Okoloke community, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, while maintaining a tight grip on their abducted victim, a traditional ruler, Pa Dada James Ogunyanda.
The monarch, a graded chief in the area, was kidnapped from his palace in the early hours of Thursday.
The attackers had initially demanded a ransom of ₦100 million for his release, but later reduced it to ₦12 million after being informed of the monarch’s frail health and need for regular medication.
On Saturday, the bandits gunned down two local vigilantes and a telecommunications worker who had gone to inspect a telecommunications mast in the area.
The vigilantes were accompanying the telecoms staff to the site when they encountered the armed assailants in the bush, who opened fire immediately.
A resident of the community, Olusegun Iselaye, condemned the government’s inaction regarding the worsening insecurity, saying, “This senseless violence is unacceptable and underscores the urgent need for effective security measures.”
The Chairman of Yagba West LGA, Tosin Olokun, visited the grieving community and assured residents that efforts were underway to rescue the monarch and curtail the rising wave of banditry in the area.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kogi State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement regarding the recent incident.
