By SCM REPORTER
TERRIFIED families are begging for international help after ruthless gunmen stormed a village in central Nigeria, butchering an elderly man and snatching residents for a staggering £250,000 ransom.
In a sickening escalation of violence in Kogi State, the kidnappers have reportedly begun flogging their captives to pressure desperate relatives into paying the ₦450 million (Nigerian Naira) fee.
The nightmare began in the quiet community of Odo-Ape Bunu, located in the Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses described a scene of pure “anarchy” as the gang moved through the village with total impunity.
”In our village, everyone has run out. They killed our grandpa that same day,” one traumatised survivor told reporters. “Please help us… so that soldiers can come to our rescue.”
The village now stands as a ghost town, with residents fleeing into the bush for fear the gunmen will return for those who managed to hide.
Distraught relatives claim that despite the high-profile nature of the abduction, the local response has been “non-existent.”
The Ransom: ₦450 million (£250,000 / $315,000 approx.)
The Victims: Multiple residents, including women and children.
The Abuse: Captives are being whipped and tortured to speed up payment.
”At the moment, we have not seen security operatives,” the witness added. “A few security agents are on the case here in Kogi, but they have not been effective.”
Families have now taken to social media, tagging the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Army, pleading for an elite rescue operation before the victims succumb to their injuries or the kidnappers carry out threats of execution.
Nigeria is currently gripped by a massive security crisis as “bandit” groups and extremist cells turn kidnapping into a lucrative industry. While the north has traditionally been the flashpoint for such violence, Kogi State—a vital transit hub connecting the north to the south—has seen a sharp rise in highway ambushes and village raids.
The Business of Fear: Kidnapping has become a primary source of income for criminal gangs, often referred to as “bandits.”
The Ransom Ban: The Nigerian government previously passed laws criminalising the payment of ransoms to discourage the practice, but desperate families, seeing little help from the state, often feel they have no choice but to pay.
Military Overstretch: The Nigerian Army is currently deployed in nearly every state, fighting a decade-long insurgency in the northeast and rising separatism in the southeast, leaving rural communities like Odo-Ape Bunu vulnerable to attack.
The Nigerian Police and Defence Headquarters have yet to issue an official statement on the Odo-Ape Bunu raid.
