KOGI — A newly married couple, identified as Funmilayo Bamidele and Rev. Abiodun David, have been abducted by armed assailants while returning from their engagement ceremony in Eruku, Kwara State.
The couple were reportedly travelling with four other people on Saturday evening when their vehicle was intercepted along the Iyemero–Eruku route in Kogi State.
The location of the incident became a subject of clarification after initial reports placed the abduction in Kwara State.
However, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, Dada Sunday, clarified that the actual point of the abduction was in Kogi State.
Couple Abducted While Returning From Engagement Ceremony
According to Sunday, the local government remained concerned about the incident because the victims were returning from an event held in Eruku, within the council area.
He said the bride was believed to be from Eruku in Kwara State, where the couple had held their engagement ceremony before beginning their journey back.
The vehicle was initially expected to use the Isanlu Road, but the driver reportedly chose an alternative route to enable him to drop off the best man and other members of the group in Iyamoye.
The vehicle was subsequently intercepted by armed assailants along the Iyemero–Eruku route in Kogi State.
The couple and the other occupants were reportedly taken away by the attackers.
Whereabouts of Four Other Passengers Unknown
The whereabouts of the four other passengers who were travelling with the couple remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
Sunday said security agencies and other relevant authorities were working to locate the victims and secure their safe release.
The incident comes against a backdrop of renewed security concerns along parts of Kogi State, particularly transport corridors linking the state with neighbouring communities.
The Bureau Journal recently reported the abduction of passengers from three commercial buses along the Itobe-Achigili-Anyigba highway in Kogi State, an incident that triggered a joint search operation involving security personnel and local security actors.
In a separate development, 11 people, including NYSC members, were rescued after gunmen attacked vehicles along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area, while security agencies continued searching for other victims at the time of the report.
Kogi Route Has Recorded Recent Kidnapping Incidents
The latest abduction adds to a series of kidnapping incidents reported on major routes in Kogi in recent months.
Security forces subsequently rescued 21 victims, including 15 NYSC members and six other travellers, following a gun battle with suspected kidnappers in the state. The Bureau Journal reported how the security operation led to the rescue of the victims and the death of four suspected abductors.
The earlier incident had also generated concerns after relatives of some victims reportedly received ransom demands. A subsequent report by The Bureau Journal detailed an alleged ₦20 million ransom demand for each NYSC member still in captivity.
Another attack along the wider Kogi transport corridor resulted in the killing of the APC chairman in Dekina Local Government Area, Ishaq Yunusa, while another occupant of his vehicle was reportedly abducted. The Bureau Journal reported the attack along the Itobe-Ochadamu Expressway and the ensuing security operation.
Authorities Clarify Abduction Location
Sunday stressed that Iyemero is in Kogi State and not Kwara State, urging reports of the incident to reflect the correct location.
The clarification is significant because the affected communities sit close to the borders linking Kogi, Kwara and Ekiti states, making incidents in the area capable of generating conflicting initial reports about jurisdiction.
The incident was nevertheless connected to Kwara because the couple had travelled from Eruku after their engagement ceremony and were reportedly returning through the neighbouring communities when they were intercepted.
Police, Security Agencies Begin Search
Security agencies have commenced efforts to locate the abducted couple and the other passengers.
At the time of filing this report, there was no confirmed information on the identities of the attackers, their whereabouts or whether contact had been established with the victims.
Calls to the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, CP Adekimi Ojo, were reportedly unanswered as of press time.
The Bureau Journal will continue to monitor the rescue operation and provide updates as security agencies release verified information on the victims and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Get breaking news and latest updates directly on WhatsApp
