Tragedy struck the Egbola community in Lokoja, Kogi State, after armed assailants stormed a prayer mountain during a night vigil, abducting several worshippers in the process.
The attack, which occurred on Thursday night along Agbaja Road, disrupted the religious gathering as the gunmen reportedly fired shots into the air to instill fear before seizing their victims and fleeing into the nearby forest.
Local vigilantes quickly launched a response operation. During the intervention, one of the abductees, identified as Mary Adams Gure, managed to escape amid an exchange of gunfire between the attackers and security volunteers.
“She escaped during the shootout and was rescued by our team,” a source involved in the rescue confirmed.
Security efforts to trace and free the other abductees are still underway, although authorities have not yet confirmed how many people were taken during the incident.
The assault has left the community in shock, with residents calling for increased security presence in remote worship areas.