Kogi Kidnap Survivor Recounts Escape After Being Marched Through Rivers By Gunmen, Alleges Bandits’ Collusion With Locals

Ojaja Joseph, a student from Benue State, has recounted his harrowing experience of narrowly escaping a kidnapping while traveling to Abuja for his Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) programme.

He was among the travellers abducted along the Osokoko–Obajana Road in Kogi State on Thursday. Joseph recounted his experience in a video shared by Egbe Mekun Parrot.

"We were inside a passenger bus when the incident happened. We were marched into the bush. They took us into the bush and we crossed different rivers. we crossed like seven rivers and at some point, we got to a river that is very deep with trees on it," he said, his voice trembling as he recalled the fear of being taken deeper into the unknown.

Joseph described the kidnappers as heavily armed and intimidating.

"The kidnappers who took us were with different weapons, in fact there was a gun they could not hold, they put it on a bike and operate it from there,” he said.

The student described the brutal treatment of those who could not comply, saying, "On our way going, they were maltreating some people who were not cooperating, I escaped because immediately I saw that everywhere was getting dark, I hid myself inside a bush."

Joseph recounted the anxiety of emerging from hiding, unsure if he would be safe. "As I was coming out, I saw three men outside that night in the Osokoko village, I was thinking I was safe in their hands, they were asking me different questions such as if the persons that attacked us came on bike, if they were many in numbers. I told them yes."

He noted that he soon realised that the men were collaborators with the kidnappers as they queried the bandits as to why they would allow him escape.

 "Then they started calling the kidnappers that why would they allow someone to escape, those men were speaking Kabba language. Because of my understanding of Yoruba language, I was able to pick up one or two things from what they were saying."

Joseph, who speaks a local language in Benue and Yoruba, said the fear never left him.

"The men who saw me when I came out of the bush asked me to sit down, so I told them that I needed to use the toilet, they asked me to use any toilet I want to use close to where they would see me, but I told them that I was a shy person."

He described the split-second decision that saved his life. "I told them I needed to move to the front a bit, that was how I ran away from them."

Joseph also described the kidnappers’ chilling organisation.

"The kidnappers divided themselves into two, those who came out with guns were different, those who marched us into the bush were different. In fact as we were going and got to their huts we saw the wives of the kidnappers telling them well-done."

The ordeal has left Joseph shaken but grateful to be alive, highlighting the dangers that travellers face on some routes. Authorities have yet to confirm any arrests related to the incident.

On Thursday, SaharaReporters reported that bandits launched an attack along the Osokoko–Obajana axis in Kogi State.

According to sources, two commercial 18-seater buses were targeted during the incident.

One of the buses was successfully attacked, while the second managed to escape.

According to eyewitnesses, the situation unfolded suddenly, with assailants attempting to block and raid vehicles along the route.

Residents warned motorists to avoid the road until security forces secure the area.

On Saturday, SaharaReporters again reported that a group of terrorists had launched a fresh attack along the Isanlu Makutu–Idofin corridor in the Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State, leaving residents and travellers in a state of fear.

Eyewitnesses said that the attackers struck suddenly on Saturday afternoon, causing people in the area to scamper for safety. 

Local sources said the situation heightened tension across nearby communities, with many residents staying indoors while travellers diverted routes to avoid the troubled stretch of road.

There have been growing insecurity in Kogi State with kidnappers abducting travellers, k!lling and demanding for heavy ransom from their victims and their families.

The government promises of intervention have failed to materialise as the bandits continue to operate with impunity.