A pastor of the Living Faith Church Worldwide, also known as Winners’ Chapel, has been reportedly abducted by suspected armed bandits in Okoro Gbedde, Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
It was learnt that the cleric was kidnapped on Saturday while heading to his farm along the Okeoffin-Okoro Gbedde axis.
According to SaharaReporters, eyewitnesses said the pastor was travelling on a motorcycle with a commercial rider when they encountered the assailants.
Sources in the community noted that the situation turned chaotic upon sighting the kidnappers.
“When they suddenly ran into the armed men, the pastor jumped off the motorcycle.
“The commercial rider managed to escape unharmed, while the pastor was abducted and taken to an unknown location,” a source noted.
As of the time of filing this report, the kidnappers had yet to establish contact with the pastor’s family or the church, and no ransom demand had been made.
The abduction has heightened fear and anxiety among residents of Okoro Gbedde and surrounding communities, with locals expressing concern over the deteriorating security situation in the area.
Many residents lamented that frequent attacks along rural routes had made farming and daily movement increasingly dangerous.
The latest incident comes amid a string of violent attacks on churches in Kogi State.
Just a few days ago, tension gripped Ogbe and neighbouring communities in Kogi State following bandit attack along the ogbe-Egbe axis leaving one person injured and five others abducted.
The attack, which occurred at the boundary between Ogbe and Koro communities, reportedly targeted residents travelling to Egbe to attend the wedding ceremony of an Ogbe indigene resident in Egbe.
Sources told SaharaReporters that the victims were en route to the ceremony when they were ambushed by armed men suspected to be bandits.
The assailants reportedly opened fire on the travellers, shooting one person, while others attempted to flee for safety.
“One person was shot during the attack and has been rushed to a hospital. Five others were abducted and taken into the bush,” a resident said.
The identity of the injured victim and the abducted persons had yet to be officially confirmed as of the time of filing this report.
Following the attack, residents of Ogbe, Egbe and surrounding communities expressed renewed fears over what they described as worsening insecurity on rural roads in the area.
Community members lamented that the Ogbe-Egbe axis has increasingly become unsafe, especially for travellers attending social events or commuting between villages.
Residents have called on security agencies and the Kogi State Government to urgently beef up patrols along the road to prevent further attacks and restore confidence among commuters.
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