Three people have died and four others are being treated in hospital after a deadly kidnapping incident in Ayetoro-Kiri, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, community leaders said on Saturday, as about 30 victims remain in captivity despite a N15 million ransom paid for releases.
The victims were among 37 worshippers abducted from an ECWA church on December 14, 2025.
The community spokesperson, David Ampitan, said residents pooled money to secure the freedom of seven captives, but three of those released were dead on arrival at medical facilities while four are critically ill.
“The pain in our community is unbearable,” Ampitan said in a statement, describing the payment and the dire condition of some returnees.
He warned that scores of people still held by the abductors face an uncertain fate.
Ampitan accused local authorities of failing to protect residents and criticised the response of the council leadership when people staged a peaceful protest in Kabba demanding action.
He alleged the chairman of Kabba-Bunu Local Government, Zaccheus Dare Micheal, ordered security agents to disperse the demonstrators with tear gas and to arrest some of the protesters claims the council has yet to publicly address.
“No life was spared by this violence, yet those seeking justice were treated as criminals,” the statement said, calling on the Federal Government and security agencies to intervene urgently to rescue those still in captivity and to restore safety in Bunu land.
The community has long complained of persistent banditry and worsening insecurity.
Ampitan said residents are exhausted from paying ransoms, selling assets and burying loved ones, and demanded accountability from officials alleged to be indifferent to their plight.
Confirming that arrests were made in relation to recent attacks, state security sources told reporters an operation was ongoing to track kidnappers and recover remaining victims.
Officials have not yet released details of any suspects or the status of military and police deployments to the area.
Zaccheus Dare Micheal, who is serving his first term as council chairman and recently secured the All Progressives Congress ticket for a re-election bid, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The spate of incidents in Kabba-Bunu has drawn attention to the broader security challenges facing parts of Kogi State, where communities say they continue to bear the brunt of attacks despite repeated appeals for stronger protection.