Fresh kidnapping attack rocks Kogi State highway

An unconfirmed number of people have been abducted after gunmen launched a fresh attack on the Isanlu Makutu-Idofin in the Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.
‎
The attack, which occurred on Saturday afternoon, follows a wave of banditry in the state, coming barely 24 hours after security forces rescued 21 passengers, including a nine-day-old infant, from an attacks on other major highways in the region.
‎
The Isanlu Makutu-Idofin area, in the western part of the state (Okunland), is a known hotspot for criminal activity. Many residents according to sources, confined themselves indoors and travelers diverting routes to avoid the troubled area.
‎
The new abductions overshadow a major success achieved just a day prior. On Thursday, a joint operation by the Nigerian Army, vigilantes, and other forces successfully rescued 21 people from multiple highway attacks. That rescue operation, however, resulted in the tragic deaths of two security personnel a soldier and a vigilante.
‎
‎Security agencies have been alerted to the latest incident and are reportedly mobilizing to the scene. The state government, led by Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, has recently declared a war against criminals, vowing never to negotiate with bandits, implementing curfews and enhanced surveillance in volatile areas.
‎
‎
‎