A newlywed couple has been abducted alongside four other travellers along the Eruku-Iyemero Road, in an incident that has raised fresh security concerns around communities bordering Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti states.
The victims were reportedly travelling together on Saturday evening, September 26, when armed men intercepted their vehicle along the road.
The newlywed couple were identified as Funmilayo Bamidele and Reverend Abiodun David. The identities of the four other people taken during the incident had not been publicly disclosed at the time of reporting.
According to reports, the group was returning from an engagement ceremony in Eruku, Kwara State, when they encountered the attackers.
The journey reportedly took an unexpected route after the driver decided to use the Iyemero-Eruku road rather than the initially intended route. The vehicle was said to have been heading towards Iyamoye in Kogi State, where some passengers were expected to be dropped off.
It was during the journey that the travellers were reportedly stopped and taken into the surrounding bush by the attackers.
The incident was confirmed by the Kwara State Police Command, which said security agencies had commenced efforts to locate the victims and secure their release.
The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, said security personnel were already working in the area and conducting operations in the surrounding forests.
The vehicle used by the victims was later recovered after it was reportedly found abandoned at a former police station in Ayetoro, Ekiti State. The recovery has become an important part of the ongoing investigation as security agencies work to establish how the abductors moved from the scene of the attack.
Because the incident occurred in an area close to the boundaries of three states, security personnel from Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti have been involved in efforts to locate the victims.
The involvement of multiple commands is expected to help security agencies coordinate operations across the border communities and surrounding forest areas.
The abduction has attracted particular concern because of the circumstances surrounding the victims’ journey. The newlywed couple were reportedly returning from an engagement-related event when they were caught up in the attack.
As of the latest reports, there had been no confirmed announcement of the victims’ rescue. Authorities had also not publicly provided details about the number of attackers involved or confirmed whether a ransom demand had been made.
The identities of the other four victims have equally not been officially released.
Security agencies are expected to continue searching the surrounding areas while gathering information from residents and other people who may have witnessed the incident or have knowledge of the movements of the suspected abductors.
The incident has also renewed attention on security along rural roads connecting communities across Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti. Such routes often pass through sparsely populated areas and stretches of forest, making them difficult to monitor continuously.
For residents and travellers who depend on the road network linking the three states, the development is likely to heighten concerns about travelling through isolated routes, particularly during evening hours.
However, authorities have not indicated that all routes in the affected states are unsafe, and the circumstances of this particular incident remain under investigation.
The immediate priority for the security agencies remains the safe recovery of the six abducted persons and the identification of those responsible for the attack.
Families of the victims are also awaiting further information as security personnel continue the search operation across the affected areas.
The abduction of the newlywed couple and four others therefore adds to growing security concerns around the Kwara-Kogi-Ekiti axis, with authorities facing the challenge of securing long stretches of inter-state roads and surrounding rural communities.
Further details are expected as the police and other security agencies continue their investigation and rescue efforts.
