A student from Benue State, Ojaja Joseph, has narrated how he narrowly escaped from armed kidnappers after he was abducted alongside other travellers on the Osokoko–Obajana Road in Kogi State on Thursday.
Joseph, who was on his way to Abuja for his Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) programme, shared his account in a video circulated by Egbe Mekun Parrot, describing hours of fear, uncertainty and desperate attempts to stay alive.
According to him, the incident occurred while he was travelling in a commercial bus that was intercepted by armed men.
“We were marched deep into the bush and made to cross several rivers,” he recalled. “At one point, the water was so deep it was covered by trees. The kidnappers were heavily armed; some weapons were so large they operated them from a motorbike.”
Joseph said he managed to escape when night fell, hiding behind bushes until he felt safe to move. But the danger was far from over. Upon emerging from his hiding place, he encountered three men in Osokoko village whom he initially thought were locals who could assist him.
“After asking me questions, they began speaking in a language I understood slightly. That was when I realised they were working with the kidnappers. They even called the kidnappers, asking why someone had been allowed to escape,” he said.
Thinking quickly, Joseph asked to step aside “to use the toilet” and seized the opportunity to run for safety.
He further revealed that the group that abducted them appeared well-organised, operating with separate teams—those who attacked the travellers and those who marched the victims into the forest. He also observed women in huts deeper inside the bush, suggesting an entrenched camp structure.
The Kogi State axis where the incident occurred has experienced a surge in violent attacks in recent weeks. On Thursday, SaharaReporters reported that bandits targeted two commercial 18-seater buses along the same road, successfully abducting passengers from one of them while the other escaped.
Residents and eyewitnesses have since warned travellers to avoid the route pending improved security presence.
In another incident on Saturday, armed groups launched a fresh attack along the Isanlu Makutu–Idofin corridor in Yagba East Local Government Area, forcing residents into hiding and prompting motorists to divert to alternative roads.
The recent wave of attacks has heightened fear across several communities in Kogi State, where kidnapping for ransom and violent ambushes have become increasingly frequent. Despite repeated assurances from authorities of ongoing interventions, local residents say the security situation remains deeply troubling.
As of press time, security agencies had not issued an update on possible arrests related to Joseph’s abduction or the subsequent attacks.
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