Troops of the 12 Brigade, Nigerian Army, have rescued 23 kidnapped passengers following a bandit attack along the Ayegunle–Bunu Road in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to security sources, the attack occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026, when armed men suspected to be bandits barricaded the road and abducted an unspecified number of passengers travelling along the route.
The troops, deployed in Kabba, swiftly responded to a distress call and mobilized to the scene. Although the kidnappers had fled before security operatives arrived, soldiers discovered two dead bodies, five injured victims, two Toyota commercial buses, and a HOWO truck abandoned by the roadside.
Following the discovery, the troops launched an immediate pursuit operation along the kidnappers’ suspected escape routes. The sustained pressure mounted by the advancing soldiers forced the criminals to abandon 23 abducted passengers, who were subsequently rescued and evacuated to safety.
The injured victims were taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Kabba for medical treatment, while security agencies intensified efforts to track down the fleeing kidnappers and rescue any remaining victims still in captivity.
Military authorities reaffirmed their commitment to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes across Kogi State, urging residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing operations.