Police have rescued two Fulani women held captive for nearly a month in a dense forest hideout in a swift operation underscoring Kogi State’s intensifying crackdown on kidnappers, as authorities hailed a wave of recent successes against banditry plaguing the North Central region.
The victims, Safara Yakubu and Habibat Aminu, both 25, were snatched from Irewagere Fulani Camp in Adavi Local Government Area on November 3 at around 11:00 p.m. Their dramatic liberation came Sunday at about 2:00 p.m. along the Osara-Oshokoshoko Obajana Forest, thanks to credible intelligence acted upon by the Divisional Police Officer of Osara.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama broke the news on X, detailing how the DPO mobilized a crack team that stormed the bandits’ lair without firing a shot, forcing the abductors to flee. “The rescued women are currently receiving medical attention at a local medical center, while authorities continue investigations into the abduction,” Makama posted, capturing the relief rippling through the nomadic Fulani community often targeted for their vulnerability in remote camps.
This rescue caps a frenetic month of anti-kidnapping victories in Kogi, where joint security forces have dismantled bandit networks and freed dozens amid a national uptick in abductions. On December 2, troops of the 12 Brigade Nigerian Army, backed by a police helicopter, launched a coordinated air-and-ground assault in the Ejiba-Saminaka Forest axis spanning Yagba East and West LGAs.
Overwhelmed by the barrage, bandits released six captives—five now reunited with families, one under medical care. Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the brigade, credited “sustained pressure” for the bloodless outcome.
Days earlier, on November 29, army units and vigilantes repelled a brazen highway ambush near Obajana-Oshokoshoko, rescuing 21 passengers from five vehicles, including two families of four each and several drivers. The gunbattle claimed two security lives—a soldier and a vigilante—but foiled the abduction of over 100 travelers bound for Abuja, Kaduna, and beyond. “Two families lost four members each in the incident and all were rescued,” an eyewitness told Tribune Online. “Two drivers, a truck driver and a bus driver, were also among those freed.”
The momentum built on November 25, when 12 Brigade troops foiled a bandit ambush in the same Oshokoshoko-Obajana corridor, neutralizing one gunman, seizing an AK-47, and freeing a distressed victim who was rushed to hospital.
Earlier, on November 15, joint forces liberated 15 hostages from Ajaokuta and Itobe forests using tear gas, including names like Joe Stephen and Gift Alex, with six more recovering from ordeal. And on November 3, soldiers intercepted a ransom handoff in Achigili Forest, rescuing two victims and recovering ₦3.8 million in cash meant for their release.
Kogi Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo has vowed escalation, deploying helicopters and private security outfits like Base SAN Security Nigeria Ltd., which aided the arrest of four kidnappers holding 10 victims in Ajaokuta just last week. “We are not going to bow to the criminals, we are not going to negotiate with them, we are not going to pay ransom,” Ododo declared after the highway rescue, “but we are going to sensitise our people to be security conscious.”
Yet, the triumphs mask persistent threats: On November 30, gunmen abducted a pastor, his wife, and worshippers from a Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West, prompting an ongoing manhunt. Rep. Leke Abejide raised alarms in the House of Representatives, linking the surge to poor roads and unchecked mining that embolden criminals.
As Yakubu and Aminu recover, their story symbolizes resilience in a state turning the tide. “The State Government is prepared to make Kogi State the safest in Nigeria,” Information Commissioner Jerry Omodara affirmed after the Ajaokuta bust. With over 50 freed in recent weeks, residents hope the forest echoes with fewer cries for help.