A lecturer from the Federal College of Education (FCE), Okene was abducted by armed bandits on Friday, January 9, 2026, in a brazen daylight assault along the Kabba–Okene Road, deepening concerns over a worsening security crisis on major transport routes in Kogi State.
According to local reports obtained by Sahara Reporters, the assailants struck commuters travelling the busy highway, intercepting vehicles and forcibly abducting the academic before disappearing into nearby forested terrain.
The FCE lecturer’s identity has not yet been officially released, and at the time of this report, there were no public statements from security officials confirming the abduction or outlining ongoing rescue efforts. A community platform citing sources close to the incident said that although soldiers stationed in Kabba responded quickly to the attack and managed to free several victims, the lecturer was successfully taken by the kidnappers.
The Kabba–Okene Road has become emblematic of insecurity plaguing key highways in central Nigeria, where residents, students and workers now travel with heightened anxiety due to repeated reports of kidnappings and armed assaults.
“It’s getting worse by the day,” one resident from the area, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Sahara Reporters. “People moving for work, school or daily activities are now afraid to use this road, even in broad daylight.”
Security challenges in Kogi State have been rising for months, with bandit assaults, abductions and related violence reported across multiple local government areas. In recent weeks, another man was kidnapped along the Egbe-Okoloke Road in Yagba West Local Government Area, further underscoring the persistent threat to commuters and rural communities.
Meanwhile, youths in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area have staged protests against the deteriorating security environment and alleged abandonment by authorities. Videos shared online show demonstrators chanting slogans and holding placards with messages such as “Bunuland Bleeds” and “Why Should We Ask for Permission to Live?”, lamenting the displacement of dozens of villages due to persistent attacks.
Though police have occasionally deployed tear gas to disperse protesting youths, no definitive government response detailing strategic security reinforcements or targeted rescue operations has yet been released.
Residents and community leaders are now calling on the Kogi State Government and federal security agencies to intensify protective patrols along highways and forest corridors that have become hotbeds of criminal activity. They stress the need for proactive intelligence, heavier security presences and coordinated rescue efforts to ensure the safe return of the abducted lecturer and other victims who have been forcibly taken in recent months.
