The Kogi State Police Command has made a major breakthrough following a deadly bandit raid on the Ayegunle Igun Bunu community in the Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area.

A coordinated joint security operation led to the arrest of a key suspect and the recovery of 100 rustled cattle.

The Raid and Casualties

The violent assault was reportedly orchestrated on the orders of a notorious bandit leader known as Batijo, allegedly in retaliation for the recent arrest of some of his gang members.

• Targeted Attack: The gunmen initially targeted the palace of the community’s traditional ruler, Oba Sunday Omodamori. He escaped abduction because he was away at the time.
• Abductions & Fatalities: Failing to capture the monarch, the bandits abducted three residents: Ojo Abiodun, Bunmi Sunday, and Chief James Obayomi. Chief Obayomi was tragically killed while attempting to escape captivity.
• Highway Ambush: The criminals later moved their operation to the Kabba–Obajana Road, blocking the highway to rob and kidnap travelers from commercial vehicles. One passenger, Abdullahi Hashimu, was shot and killed when his vehicle refused to stop, and four others were hospitalized with injuries.

Security Response and Recovery

Following intense pressure and a rapid search-and-rescue sweep by joint security forces into the surrounding forest hideouts, the criminal syndicate was forced to split up.

Cattle Recovery: The bandits had rustled roughly 200 cattle during the raid. The hot pursuit by security operatives forced them to abandon 100 of the stolen animals, which have now been successfully recovered.

• Suspect Apprehended: Operatives arrested a suspect identified simply as Ibrahim, who is actively cooperating with investigators.
• Fleeing Suspects Identified: Information extracted from Ibrahim has unmasked several other alleged members of the syndicate—specifically named as Aliyu, Lamido, Muhadahire, and Kache.

Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Bello Kankarofi, visited Ayegunle Bunu to assure grieving community members that active bush-combing operations are still underway to rescue the remaining hostages and dismantle Batijo’s network entirely. He urged locals to keep fueling the command with credible intelligence to ensure a total sweep of the area