Gunmen abducted three family members of Ahmed Ajobe, a former editor of Daily Trust in Kogi State.
The victims—two women, including Ajobe’s immediate younger sister, Halimatu-Sadiya Tahir, and a man—were taken at gunpoint on Thursday, November 22, 2024, while traveling along the deteriorating Ankpa-Adoka-Makurdi road in Ankpa Local Government Area.
The abduction occurred as the family was returning from a local market in Awo, where they had gone to purchase supplies for the seven-day prayer ceremony honoring Ajobe’s late mother, Aishetu Tahir, who recently passed away after a long illness.
Speaking anonymously to Punch, a source close to the family described the incident as deeply distressing.
“Three members of Ahmed Ajobe’s family were kidnapped at gunpoint around 3 PM on Thursday,” the source confirmed. The victims were reportedly traveling home when they were intercepted by the gunmen, who forcibly took them to an undisclosed location.
The captors reached out to the family on Friday afternoon, making a demand of N50 million as ransom for the safe release of the abducted relatives. “They contacted the family and made their demands clear,” the source added. “I cannot confirm if negotiations are underway, as I had to leave the community for an emergency in Lokoja. As of now, no ransom has been paid, and the victims remain in captivity.”
William Aya, the Command’s spokesperson, confirmed the abduction and assured the public that law enforcement is working tirelessly to secure the victims’ release.
“The Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area has deployed personnel to the region to locate and rescue the victims,” Aya stated. He added that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Onuoha, has ordered the deployment of a tactical police team to bolster the existing efforts on the ground.
“Every resource at our disposal is being utilized to resolve this incident and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said.
