Kogi Kidnapping Survivor Shares Harrowing Ordeal

Joshua Daniel, one of six victims rescued from kidnappers along the Ojuwo–Ajengo–Memarebo and Ojiwo–Itobe roads in Ofu Local Government Area, Kogi State, shared his traumatic experience after being abducted on Sunday, August 9, 2026. He bled throughout the night after sustaining a severe injury from a cutlass while trying to escape.

The rescue operation was conducted by the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force, local vigilantes, and hunters, who engaged the kidnappers in a firefight, leading to the criminals abandoning their captives. Daniel expressed gratitude for the timely intervention of the rescue team, which resulted in no casualties among the victims.

He also mentioned the death of a local hunter during the operation and injuries sustained by a police officer. Another rescued victim, Ngozi Stephen, revealed that the kidnappers demanded ransoms ranging from N50 million to N100 million, which she communicated to the other captives.