Security Forces Launch Rescue Operation After Voter Registration Ambush
In a dramatic security operation, Nigerian troops successfully rescued 31 out of 40 individuals who were abducted by armed gunmen in Kogi State. The victims were returning from participating in the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise when they fell into an ambush on Friday, November 10, 2025.
Details of the Abduction on Dekina-Ajiyolo-Anyigba Road
According to eyewitness accounts, the unfortunate incident occurred around 6 pm along the Dekina-Ajiyolo-Anyigba road in Dekina Local Government Area. The victims, predominantly residents of Abocho and Ajekeleaga communities, had chartered a vehicle to take them to Dekina headquarters for the voter registration exercise.
After successfully completing their registration, the group was heading back to Abocho when they were ambushed by over 20 fully armed gunmen. The assailants, suspected to be kidnappers, intercepted the vehicle at gunpoint and forcefully abducted all 40 passengers, including the driver.
Military Response and Ongoing Search Operations
As the kidnappers herded their captives into the nearby bush, information about the incident spread rapidly. This prompted immediate action from troops of the Nigerian Army, 12 Brigade in Lokoja, who collaborated with local security networks to pursue the criminals.
The security forces engaged in a hot pursuit that pressured the kidnappers to abandon 31 of their victims while escaping deeper into the forest with the remaining captives. A source involved in the operation revealed that the kidnappers employed deceptive tactics by releasing the majority of victims initially.
"We thought that was all when they released about 31 victims while on the run," the source explained. "We relaxed not knowing that they simply used those ones for us to calm down. Before we could realize their trick, they had gone far with about 10 victims."
Subsequent profiling of the victims confirmed that approximately 10 community members remain missing, including the bus driver. The abandoned vehicle has been recovered and taken to Abocho Police Station as evidence while security agencies continue their intensive search for the remaining captives.
Security forces have vowed to maintain pressure on the kidnappers until all remaining victims are safely recovered. However, the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP William Ovye Aya, indicated that the Dekina Division of the police force had not yet officially briefed the Command on the incident at the time of reporting.
