Kogi: Gunmen abduct Imam, brother

File photo: Gunmen

Richard Elesho

Unknown gunmen have continued their random attacks on travelers along the Lokoja/ Obajana/ Kabba Road, Kogi state. On Sunday, 8 October 2023, they kidnapped an Islamic cleric, Alfa Fasasi Ola Mejabi, and his younger brother on the road.

The cleric and others were conveying the corpse of the Chief Imam of Ayegunle Gbede, Sheikh Musa Olorunkemi, from Lokoja when they ran into the kidnappers.

They were reportedly abducted while transiting the late Chief Imam’s corpse to Ayegunle Gbede in Ijumu local government of the state for burial.

One of the occupants of the car who escaped abduction told our reporter that the incident occurred around Oshokoshoko

He explained that their car was moving ahead the vehicle carrying the corpse of late Sheikh Musa, who died on Sunday morning after a brief illness.

Another source confirmed that the victims’ telephone lines have been switched off since their abduction, but added that the kidnappers made contact with the family on Monday morning demanding for 10 million Naira ransom for their release.

Efforts to get the state police command’s response to the incident proved abortive as the spokesman did not pick calls when contacted.

It would be recalled that several people have been abducted on the road in recent times. On Sunday, 3 September, no less than 26 travellers, including a military officer, were abducted on the road. The gunmen kept them in the jungle for a full week, during which they collected a whopping 33 million Naira ransome.