* Also, 18 seater Bus passengers escape by whiskers in Obajana – Kabba road
* Kidnappers overrun Bunu communities
* Security agencies working in synergy to halt menace– Omodara
The daredevil kidnappers and hoodlums may have welcomed the new CP, kogi state command, Miller Dantawaye with resurgence of abduction of bus passengers on highways across kogi state as the victims cry for rescue.
The people of Kogi and travellers Criss crossing the state who had experienced low spate of highway abductions, were woken to reality of mass abductions especially on the highways with the assumption of office of CP Dantawaye few months ago.
This just as a former governorship candidate of Action Alliance in 2023 election Olayinka Braimoh has called on kogi state government and Security Agencies to put a halt a halt to incessant abduction in Bunu land.
In a statement issued from his office on Monday, Braimoh said, “The peaceful nature of Bunu people in Kabba-Bunu local government area of Kogi State has been trampled by unknown gunmen who are killing and abducting them at an alarming rate. It is so bad to realize that apart from their inability to go to their farms again, every community now keeps vigil, running security shifts to secure the land. We have not seen any meaningful efforts from the government.
In the last two weeks , our checks revealed that no fewer than two buses belonging to some registered transportation companies were stopped and passengers ferried into their den and still cooling off their feets in the kidnappers gulag.
The recent upsurge of abductions,in penultimate weeks are believed to be targeted at the major highways from the western to central and Eastern Axis of logistics state.
The Sunday march 16, 2025 abduction of the whole occupants in 18 seater bus belonging to ABC transport at Aloma in Ofu Local Government Area of the state has left the families in state of confusion.
Though, the kidnappers have opened line of communication with some families of the victims, the amount demanding, which ranges from #29 to #50m each of the victim is beyond the reach of most victims
According to Mr Emmanuel Israel whose cousin was among those kidnapped in the ill fated ABC bus coming from Enugu to Abuja on Sunday before it was intercepted at Aloma, said, all efforts to secure his release does not yield desired results, calling on security agencies to come to their aid.
He said, the family is worried as the kidnappers have given specific date to deliver the money to them as failure would lead to their death.
He said the amount demanded is beyond the reach of the family as their lives savings and property have been sold to raise the amount to no avail, even as the tragic news of the abduction had caused serious medical concern to the parents, who have developed various degrees of strokes.
Meanwhile,the Security Adviser to Kogi State governor, Commander Jerry Omodara (retd) has said security operatives are on the trail of abductors of 18 passengers on a bus belonging to the ABC Transport.
He gave the assurance while fielding questions from people’s gazette on Thursday , assured that the synergy between all the security services and the well meaning people of the state would soon lead to early recovery unhurt all the captives.
Also, the villagers in Okebukun communities in Kabba Bunu , LGA are set to abandon their ancestral homes to avoid being abducted either in the homes and or on the farms, .
The situation in these communities, accordingly to a local, is so bad that the kidnappers would paste on the doors of their victims when they would come for operation, says , a villager.
Emmanuel,urged the commissioner of police, CP Dantawaye, Inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser, Director General DSS, the Military and Kogi state government to help them for safe release of the victims.
Confirming the resurgence of kidnappings on highways, the AIG zone 8, AIG Zubairu and CP Dantawaye had to visit the scene at Obajana , where passengers in a 18 seater bus survived being ferried to unknown destination by hoodlums.
In a press release signed by SP William Aya and made available to Journalists in Lokoja on Thursday, said the police bosses were on the spot assessment to restore confidence of motoring publics in the ability of police to safeguard lives and property and praised officers for their gallantry in repelling the kidnappers
However, the effort to reassure public about the new CP Dantawaye to match the daredevil atrocities, is highly in doubt as checks revealed that officers on highways in the state are only concerned with arrests and intimidating young people riding a brand of motorbike called rubber rubber, mostly driven by the so called yahoo boys.
According to some security watchers, the new CP should work in confidence with his immediate lieutenants and other top management team and officers to bring the situation under control.
They noted that the action of these criminals is to test his capacity and capability , whether he can withstand their onslaughts and if he cave in, then, the worst for the state, hence , he has to map out strategies that will forestall further breach of law and other
