Gunmen killed Ishaq Yunusa, the APC divisional chairman for Dekina Local Government Area in Kogi State, and abducted another passenger in an attack on Thursday evening along the Itobe-Ochadamu Expressway in Ofu LGA.
The incident happened around 5 p.m. near Ojuwo Olijo. Witness accounts and local news reports say the attackers came out of the bush and opened fire on vehicles on the road.
Yunusa was traveling to Lokoja in a blue Toyota Corolla when he was hit. Photos and videos shared by Kogi news platforms showed him dead inside the car after the gunmen fled. One other person in the vehicle was taken into the forest by the assailants.
The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the attack. Police Public Relations Officer ASP Saliu Afusat said officers have been deployed to comb the surrounding forest to rescue the kidnapped victim and apprehend those responsible.
Commissioner of Police Naziru Kankarofi has ordered continued patrols and surveillance along the Itobe-Ochadamu route. Police said Yunusa’s body was taken to Grimard Hospital in Anyigba for an autopsy as investigations continue.
In a security advisory, the command urged motorists and residents using the corridor to stay alert and report any suspicious activity to authorities immediately.
The killing adds to growing concerns over safety on major roads in Kogi State, where kidnappings and armed attacks have been reported in recent months. Police said operations will remain in place until the abducted passenger is rescued and the attackers are arrested.
