Gunmen have killed the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Hon. Ishaq Yunusa, during an attack along the Itobe–Ochadamu Expressway in Ofu Local Government Area of the state.

Another occupant of the vehicle was abducted during the incident, which occurred at about 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, around Ojuwo Olijo.

The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the attack in a statement issued in Lokoja on Friday.

According to the police, armed assailants emerged from the surrounding bush and opened sporadic fire at motorists along the highway.

A blue Toyota Corolla with registration number GWA 636 CH was subsequently found abandoned along the road. The driver, identified by the police as Ishaq Yunusa, was found dead inside the vehicle, while another occupant was taken into the bush by the attackers.

The police said it was working with other security agencies to intensify operations in the area, with personnel combing the surrounding forest in an effort to rescue the abducted victim and apprehend those responsible for the attack.

Yunusa’s remains were evacuated to Grimard Hospital in Anyigba for autopsy, while investigators continued to pursue available leads concerning the incident.

The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, ordered sustained security operations along the affected corridor and directed personnel to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice.

The police also urged motorists and residents along the route to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements to the police or other security agencies.

The killing occurred amid renewed security concerns in parts of Ofu Local Government Area.

A day earlier, on Wednesday, August 26, gunmen reportedly attacked two buses along the Aloma–Egane Expressway in Ofu LGA. According to the police, the attackers emerged from the bush around Ogene Zaria, near the Ogene Zaria/Onicha-Igo Junction, blocked the two buses travelling in opposite directions and abducted some passengers, while others escaped into the surrounding bush.

Two abandoned vehicles, a Peace Mass Transit white Hummer bus and a yellow 18-seater bus, were recovered from the scene after a joint security team responded to a distress call.

The police subsequently launched a coordinated bush-combing and rescue operation, which led to the rescue of 11 abducted victims, including the drivers of the two buses. Preliminary police debriefing indicated that most of the rescued victims were members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) travelling from Bayelsa State to Abuja.

The rescued victims were debriefed and later allowed to continue their journey after necessary procedures, while security personnel continued efforts to locate other victims who remained unaccounted for.

The latest killing has heightened concerns over the safety of motorists and passengers travelling through the affected corridors in Kogi State, as security agencies intensify operations to contain kidnapping and other criminal activities in the area.