I bled throughout the night, abducted Kogi captive recounts ordeal

One of the six victims rescued from an abduction in Kogi State recounted his harrowing ordeal to police on Tuesday. Joshua Daniel, among the six abducted, said he bled profusely throughout the night after one of his abductors slashed him with a cutlass. The attack occurred on Sunday, August 9, 2026, when armed criminals targeted commuters on the Ojuwo–Ajengo–Memarebo and Ojiwo–Itobe roads.

A joint security team comprising the Nigerian Army, Navy, Police Force, local vigilantes, and hunters swiftly engaged the criminals in a fierce firefight. Overwhelmed by the superior firepower, the criminals abandoned their captives and fled into the surrounding forest, leaving behind the abducted victims. Daniel managed to escape into a nearby bush, but one of his abductors brought a knife to his head, causing him to bleed.

He credits the timely arrival of the rescue team for saving him and the lives of the other captives. The Army has documented and assessed all 16 rescued victims, who are now in the process of being reunited with their families.