Tension has escalated in Okoloke community, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, as gunmen suspected to be bandits killed three individuals on Saturday while maintaining a tight grip on their abducted victim, a traditional ruler.
The monarch, Pa Dada James Ogunyanda, a graded chief in the area, was kidnapped from his palace in the early hours of Thursday.
In a fresh wave of violence, the assailants gunned down two local vigilantes and a telecommunications worker who had gone to inspect a telecommunications mast in the area.
Sources from the community revealed that the attackers had initially demanded a ransom of ₦100 million for the release of the nonagenarian ruler. However, during ongoing negotiations, the amount was allegedly reduced to ₦12 million.
A person familiar with the discussions told our correspondent that the bandits were informed of the monarch’s frail health and his need for regular medication.
According to the source, the kidnappers then instructed that his drugs be packaged and dropped at a designated location for onward delivery.
Tragically, before the community could act on the instructions, the gunmen struck again on Saturday morning, killing the three victims.
The vigilantes were said to be accompanying the telecoms staff to the site when they encountered the armed assailants in the bush, who opened fire immediately.
Confirming the development via Facebook, a resident of the community, Olusegun Iselaye, expressed deep grief and condemned the government’s inaction regarding the worsening insecurity.
“We are heartbroken and outraged to report that just days after the kidnapping of our traditional ruler in Okoloke village, Yagba West, we have now lost three more innocent lives to bandit attacks in the very same community,” he wrote.
“This senseless violence is unacceptable and underscores the urgent need for effective security measures.
“While we appreciate the efforts of Senator Karimi and his Kwara counterpart in raising the issue of insecurity in our region at the National Assembly just days ago, the continued inaction on the ground is deeply concerning.
“As of the last update, there has been no visible police presence or action in Okoloke, allowing these horrific killings to occur. This lack of response is a clear failure and further traumatises our already fearful communities.
“This tragedy in Okoloke further highlights the critical flaws in the current security strategy in Yagba West.
“As we stated previously, the presence of soldiers has not brought the desired security and has instead led to deeply troubling issues, including extortion and harassment of our people.
“The situation is dire. We urgently call on the Kogi State Government to recognise the gravity of this escalating crisis. The continued reliance on the current military deployment is clearly not working and has even created additional problems.”
In response to the incident, the Chairman of Yagba West LGA, Tosin Olokun, was reported to have visited the grieving community. He assured residents that concerted efforts were underway to rescue the monarch and to 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.
