Gunmen attacked travellers on the isolated Takete Ide to Aghara Road in Kogi State on Sunday. They inflicted injuries and stole valuables from the victims.

The assailants, numbering about a dozen and wielding AK-47 rifles, took control of the road in the afternoon and remained active until evening. They harassed travellers, detained them, and forcibly took their belongings. Those who resisted were tortured.

Residents of Takete Ide, a peaceful farming community in Mopa Amuro Council, received intelligence about the attack at around 6:00 p.m. They quickly organised a resistance to drive the bandits away from their reported location at the bank of the Eba River.

Local hunters led by the Olu-Ode were also mobilised to the spot. However, the gunmen had changed location and were advancing towards the village.

The hunters were ambushed by the bandits, resulting in an exchange of gunfire. Three hunters sustained gunshot wounds, one went missing during the operation, and the attackers were forced to retreat hastily.

The missing hunter reappeared by dawn the next day. The attack caused panic and unrest in the community, prompting stakeholders to call on law enforcement agencies for assistance. The president of Takete Ide Progressive Union (TIPU), Dare Fiki, requested a coordinated response and urged governments at all levels to support them.

The state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said the government is taking measures to address the situation. “We are aware of the security breach in Mopamuro, and the governor has taken steps to address the situation and hold the perpetrators accountable. As we speak, a joint security task force has begun operations in the area. We urge the people to remain calm, vigilant, and law-abiding. The security agencies have been briefed and are determined to eliminate the criminals,” Fanwo said.