Eyewitnesses said the gunmen held the highway under siege for several hours, intercepting vehicles and dragging occupants into the surrounding forest.

“The exact number of those kidnapped is still unknown, but we heard about three vehicles ran into the ambush. Everyone was taken except one person who managed to escape.”

Kogi State Police Command spokesman, CSP William Ovye Aya, confirmed that a vehicle heading towards Isanlu was attacked, with two passengers abducted after a third, Raji Adesukami, escaped into the bush.

The Commissioner of Police immediately deployed tactical units including the Quick Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Squad, and Police Mobile Force to the area for rescue and pursuit operations.

In a swift response, troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, carried out coordinated operations in the Isanlu–Egbe axis and successfully rescued five victims kidnapped in two separate incidents on 29 November 2025, a military source disclosed.

The latest attack comes just days after bandits abducted several passengers along the Obajana–Ohokoshoko road in Lokoja LGA on Thursday. 

The Army later rescued 21 of those victims, with operations continuing to locate the remaining abductees and neutralise the criminals.

Governor Usman Ododo has reiterated his administration’s resolve to take the fight against insecurity directly into the forests, vowing to dismantle criminal hideouts and restore lasting peace across Kogi State.