Gunmen have kidnapped a prominent Kogi State monarch, His Royal Highness David Wada, while he was returning from a traditional council gathering.
The second-class ruler, who serves as the District Head of Bagaji Odo in Omala Local Government Area, was seized at gunpoint and taken into the forest late Monday evening.
Eyewitnesses said the attack happened at Ojuwo Ugweche, a location locals describe as a notorious hotspot for kidnappings.
The monarch, who was travelling on a motorcycle, was ambushed by armed men who ordered him into the bush, while the rider narrowly escaped.
Residents expressed shock that no security personnel were present in the area at the time of the attack, despite its history of violent crimes.
“That spot has always been dangerous. Normally, security teams or vigilantes patrol it, but that evening, there was no one,” a local source lamented.
The paramount ruler of Omala, HRH Boniface Musa, confirmed the incident and appealed for urgent intervention.
“Yes, the District Head of Bagaji Odo has been taken. We are pleading with the security agencies to act swiftly and ensure his safe return,” he said.
Police authorities have assured that search operations are underway. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Aya, joint security teams, including hunters and vigilante groups, have begun combing the surrounding forests to track the abductors.
“We are fully mobilised and making every effort to rescue him alive,” Aya stated.
The abduction comes amid a lingering security crisis in Omala, where previous attacks by armed bandits have left several communities destroyed and residents displaced.
Despite earlier deployments of military and police operatives by the state government, locals say criminal elements, including armed herders, still control large portions of the area’s forests.
As of press time, the kidnappers have not reached out to the monarch’s family or made any ransom demands.