Gunmen have abducted a traditional ruler, David Wada, the District Head of Bagaji Odo, in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Residents said the monarch was kidnapped on Monday evening while returning from a traditional council meeting held at Abejukolo, the headquarters of Omala LGA.
Confirming the incident to reporters, the paramount ruler of the Local Government traditional council, Boniface Musa, who is the Onu Ife, appealed to security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted monarch.
According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen ambushed Wada while he was being conveyed on a commercial motorcycle. The cyclist reportedly escaped narrowly, while the traditional ruler was whisked away.
The spokesman for the Kogi State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Williams Aya, said the command had already mobilised operatives to track down the abductors and secure the release of the monarch.
“As soon as the command got the report, operatives were deployed to the scene and the surrounding areas to ensure the rescue of the victim and arrest of the culprits,” Aya stated.
As of press time, the kidnappers were yet to make contact with the family or any member of the traditional council.
The abduction adds to the rising spate of insecurity in Kogi and neighbouring states, where traditional rulers, clerics, and commuters have increasingly become targets of violent crimes.
Leave a Reply