Police Rescue 16 Kidnap Victims After Fierce Gun Battle Along Itobe–Anyigba Highway

LOKOJA, NIGERIA — The Kogi State Police Command has successfully rescued 16 passengers who were abducted along the notorious Itobe–Anyigba Highway in the Ofu Local Government Area of the state.

The successful rescue operation followed a fierce gun duel between a combined team of security operatives and the kidnappers.

Tragically, one local vigilante member lost his life during the encounter, while a police officer sustained gunshot injuries.

The Ambush and Rapid Response

The victims were abducted on Sunday when heavily armed gunmen intercepted a commercial bus belonging to Peace Mass Transit.

The incident occurred between the Ojuwo Ajengo and Mamerebo communities along the Itobe–Achigili corridor, an axis increasingly flagged as a kidnapping hotspot.

Briefing journalists in Lokoja, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, disclosed that security forces reacted swiftly to the distress call.

A coordinated search-and-rescue mission involving the police, military, and local vigilantes was immediately launched into the surrounding forests to track the criminals and free the hostages.

Commitment to Security

CP Kankarofi assured the public that the operation is far from over. He emphasized that security forces will maintain momentum in the area until all members of the kidnapping syndicate are arrested and brought to justice. “We will not relent until the perpetrators of this cowardly act face the full wrath of the law,” the Police Commissioner stated.

Survivors Speak Out

Some of the rescued victims, visibly shaken but relieved, recounted their terrifying 24-hour ordeal in captivity. They described the harsh conditions they endured before the decisive intervention of the security forces.

Following profiling and medical checks, the survivors are currently being reunited with their families, bringing an end to hours of agonizing anxiety for their loved ones.