The Chairman of Yagba West Local Council in Kogi State, Tosin Olokun, yesterday announced a review of the existing curfew across the council area following a fresh surge in kidnapping and related criminal activities.

The decision followed an emergency security meeting held on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, where authorities resolved to adjust and strengthen the curfew as part of efforts to restore calm and protect lives and property.

In a statement by the chairman’s Press Secretary, Adeyemi Babarinde Sunday, Olokun said the measures, though stringent, were necessary to confront the current security challenges and prevent further criminal activities in the local government area.

He urged residents, traditional rulers, youth groups, transport unions and community leaders to cooperate with security agencies and provide timely information to support ongoing operations.

Olokun also reaffirmed that the safety of lives and property remains the top priority of his administration, assuring that the situation would continue to be reviewed in line with security assessments.

The decision came amid a series of attacks in the area. Armed gangs reportedly killed three persons, abducted several residents and travellers, and attacked a passenger bus that was later set ablaze within five days.

At about 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, one person was killed and three others abducted in the Idi Ogun area of Bareke, Egbe, the commercial centre of Yagba West.

The incident followed the abduction of two persons and the shooting of another in Odo-Ere, the council headquarters.

In response to the rising violence, the local government authorities earlier ordered the closure of all schools at midday yesterday and imposed a curfew from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Yagba West has increasingly become a hotspot for bandit attacks in the Okun-Yoruba axis of Kogi West Senatorial District, following months of reported criminal activities across the region.

On Tuesday, soldiers stationed at the military Forward Operating Base and local vigilantes engaged suspected criminals during a gun battle around the Idi Ogun–Bareke area of Egbe.

A day earlier, gunmen had attacked Odo-Ere, abducting one person while another sustained gunshot wounds and was hospitalised.

Over the past three days, the council area has witnessed repeated attacks targeting roads, farmers and residents, with several people injured, vehicles destroyed and multiple abductions reported.

Many of the attacks have occurred along key rural routes, including the Egbe–Eruku Road, Egbe–Okunran Road and the Lawiri River–Odo-Ere axis, which are vital for cashew farming and local trade.

Residents have expressed growing fear and called for a stronger security presence, even as soldiers and local vigilantes continue operations to contain the situation. (The Guardian)

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