Richard Elesho
Members of the Christian Evangelical Fellowship of Nigeria, CEFN and other Christian denominations in Itobe, a bustling community in Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi State, have been in intense prayer for the release of Pastor Friday Adehi and a member, Ezekiel Gabriel, from captivity.
The two men were reportedly abducted on Sunday afternoon, 24 August, by a band of gunmen while travelling on a motorcycle along Ajegwu-Ojodu Road. They were said to be returning from a naming ceremony of another member when they ran into an ambush laid by the hoodlums.
They were manhandled, then led to the bush and have since not been seen, forcing their concerned family, church members, and friends to resort to fervent petitions to God, praying for the safe return of the victims.
An eyewitness said, “The incident happened between 3 and 4 pm on 24th August 2025 (Sunday) when both members of the church were returning from Ojodu to Itobe.
“The pastor was riding on his bike with another man accompanying him. Then the kidnappers, who were lying in ambush, suddenly burst onto the road when they sighted the motorcyclist approaching. The kidnappers stopped them at gunpoint and directed them into the bush.”
The event has reignited fresh panic and agitation in the area, which has become vulnerable to indices of insecurity in recent years. Vigilantes and hunters have since been mobilised to comb the forest with a view to locating the abducted duo.
The apex Igala socio-cultural organisations, Igala Community Development Association, ICDA, and Ukomu Igala, have called on the Kogi state government to prioritise the deployment of drone technology to effectively track kidnappers and bandits using the forests as their hideouts to negotiate ransom.
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