Kidnap survivor alleges security leak aided bandits in Kogi forest raids

A woman who spent one month and nine days in captivity after being abducted by bandits in Kogi State has alleged that security operatives leaked information to kidnappers ahead of rescue operations, enabling the criminals to evade arrest.

The 56-year-old survivor, who spoke to THE WHISTLER days after regaining her freedom, claimed the kidnappers were always tipped off whenever security helicopters were approaching their hideout.

According to her, the gang would immediately switch off their phones, conceal evidence of their camp, and relocate hostages before security forces arrived.

“Whenever security men were coming with helicopters, somebody among the security people would call the bandits ahead of time. They would switch off their phones, hide our cooking pots and move us to another location before the helicopter arrived,” she alleged.

She also claimed the kidnappers dismissed the helicopter operations as ineffective, alleging they believed the aircraft only conducted mock bombardments.

The woman was among more than 30 passengers abducted on May 31 along the Obajana axis of Kogi State while travelling from Akure, Ondo State, to Abuja.

She recalled that armed men attacked several vehicles, including the 18-seater bus she boarded, at about 2 a.m., forcing passengers into the forest.

Describing her ordeal, the survivor said the kidnappers numbered more than 100, many of them teenagers, adding that even a nine-year-old boy allegedly assaulted her during captivity.

She said the gang demanded ₦4 million and a motorcycle as ransom for each captive, but refused to release some victims whose families could not provide the motorcycle despite paying the cash.

The survivor eventually escaped alongside a 19-year-old female captive after trekking through the forest for five days.

According to her, they emerged near a Dangote industrial facility, where workers rescued them and handed them over to the police.

She also revealed that the commercial bus driver had warned passengers about the dangers of travelling along the route before the attack but disappeared after the abduction.

THE WHISTLER said it could not independently verify the survivor’s allegation that security operatives alerted the kidnappers before helicopter operations.

The account comes amid growing concerns over persistent kidnappings along Kogi highways, which have witnessed repeated attacks despite intensified security operations.

Several abductions have been recorded across the state in recent years, including attacks on the Ochadamu-Ejule, Ayegunle-Bunu, Aloma-Ejule and Obajana-Lokoja roads, with security forces carrying out multiple rescue operations in response.

Kogi’s strategic location and vast forested terrain have continued to pose major security challenges, with experts identifying the state as a key transit corridor frequently targeted by kidnapping gangs operating across Nigeria’s North-Central region.