At least 27 people were killed on Saturday when heavily armed bandits launched a deadly attack on communities in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.

A military source confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters on Sunday, describing the assailants as “heavily armed” and equipped with sophisticated weapons.

“Bandits killed 27 people in Yagba West, Kogi State, just yesterday, and it was not reported. They invaded the area with heavy weapons,” the source said.

Yagba West, the home local government of Senator Sunday Karimi, who represents Kogi West Senatorial District and chairs the Senate Committee on Services, has recently come under a series of deadly bandit attacks.

For instance, on Friday, SaharaReporters reported that bandits struck early in the morning in Bareke, Egbe, Yagba West Local Government Area of the state.

SaharaReporters learnt that the assailants targeted a residential home around 2 a.m., abducting a woman and her two children.

The woman’s husband narrowly escaped with injuries during the raid, which occurred near the residence of Senator Karimi in Egbe.

“The woman and two of her children were kidnapped right from their house around 2 am in the early hours of this (Friday) morning, while her husband escaped with wounds,” a source in the community said.

“It happened very close to the house of the current Kogi West Senator, Sunday Karimi, in Egbe.”

The attack followed a similar incident in Ejiba, on Thursday, another community in Yagba West, where a commercial bus was attacked and all passengers were kidnapped.

During that incident, SaharaReporters learnt that a motorcyclist identified by serial number 256 was reportedly killed.

These recent incidents highlight a growing wave of insecurity in Kogi’s Yagba West area, raising concerns among residents about the safety of their lives and property.

In a related incident, SaharaReporters reported on Thursday that bandits stormed Bethel Farm in Ejiba, Yagba West LGA, on the night of Wednesday, October 1, kidnapping three individuals.

Community sources told SaharaReporters that earlier on Wednesday morning, along the route between Ejiba and Odo-Eri, the gang attacked a bread distributor, shooting one of the staff members during the assault.

BREAKING: Bandits Kidnap Woman, Two Children Near Kogi Senator’s Residence In Yagba; Bus Passengers Abducted In Separate Attack
Oct 03, 2025
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Photographs obtained by SaharaReporters show a burnt motorcycle believed to belong to vigilante officers who confronted the bandits during the night attack.

On Friday, September 26, 2025, SaharaReporters released a video showing Okunran, a community in Yagba West LGA, completely deserted after residents fled following recent deadly attacks by armed bandits.

The footage showed abandoned homes and empty streets, highlighting the scale of the exodus. Sources said the mass flight was prompted by repeated assaults on the community, forcing locals to seek safety elsewhere.

In the aftermath of the attacks, residents made urgent pleas for assistance.