The Kogi State Police Command has stepped up rescue and search operations following a kidnapping along the Okene–Auchi Road, deploying a joint force of police and soldiers to comb forest hideouts believed to be used by the abductors.
Operations are concentrated in the Okene–Ajaokuta axis, particularly the Ebiya Forest and surrounding areas, where security teams have been conducting intelligence-driven bush operations since the incident. The effort draws on personnel from the Area Command in Okene, the 77 Police Mobile Force Squadron, Okene and Adavi Divisions, the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit and Violent Crime Response Unit, alongside Nigerian Army detachments from Forward Operating Bases in the area. The Edo State Police Command has also sent reinforcements, including its own Anti-Kidnapping Unit.
To close off possible escape routes, security forces have tightened joint operations along the Kogi–Edo border, running coordinated clearance sweeps and patrols across forest locations linked to the case.
ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, the state Police Public Relations Officer, disclosed this in a statement released to journalists in Lokoja on Sunday.
During the search, teams located and searched suspected hideouts, recovering foodstuffs, cooking items, an Army-pattern jungle hat and a National Identity Card believed to have been left behind by the kidnappers. The hideouts were subsequently destroyed. No victims had been recovered as of the initial search phase, but police say the operation is continuing.
As of Saturday, 8 August, tactical teams were advancing toward locations of interest along the Ajaokuta and Adogo axes, with the Nigerian Army and Edo State Police deploying drones to support surveillance.
Commissioner of Police for Kogi State, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, has directed operational teams to sustain the search until the victims are safely recovered and those responsible are brought to justice. He said the Command is working with other security agencies to ensure the perpetrators do not escape prosecution, and appealed to residents near the affected areas to remain calm, stay vigilant and share credible information that could aid the operation.
Calm Restored After Abugi Reprisal Killings
Separately, the Command has moved to contain fallout from recent reprisal killings in Abugi and neighbouring communities. The Area Command in Lokoja, working with security and community stakeholders, held engagements with traditional rulers and community leaders aimed at reconciliation and addressing the roots of the conflict.
The State Criminal Investigation Department has opened a full investigation to identify and arrest those involved in the killings, with security personnel remaining deployed in the affected communities to prevent further violence. Police say normalcy has since returned to Abugi, though monitoring and the investigation continue.
CP Kankarofi reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across Kogi State and urged the public to remain law-abiding and report suspicious activity to security agencies.
