By Muhammad Mamman
Armed bandits have launched yet another attack in Kogi State, assaulting a local farmer and carting away several motorcycles in what residents described as a “brazen daylight invasion.”
The incident occurred on Sunday at Gegu-Beki, a farming community in Kogi Local Government Area, sending panic through the agrarian settlement. Witnesses said the attackers stormed the area on motorcycles, firing sporadically to scare away residents before brutalising one of the farmers who attempted to resist them.
According to locals, the victim, identified simply as Abdullahi, sustained severe injuries and is currently receiving treatment at a nearby medical facility. The bandits reportedly made away with at least three motorcycles and other valuables belonging to farmers working on their fields.
“They came around noon, shooting into the air,” said a resident who requested anonymity. “Everyone fled for safety. One of the farmers was beaten badly before they took his motorcycle.”
Community members told reporters that the area has experienced a resurgence of violent raids in recent weeks, with several farmlands abandoned due to fear of attack. They appealed to both state and federal authorities to increase security presence in the region, warning that continued insecurity could cripple food production.
The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying a team of officers had been deployed to the area to track down the assailants.
“We are on the trail of the attackers,” said the command’s spokesperson. “Our men are combing the forests and surrounding communities to apprehend those responsible.”
Security experts say the latest attack highlights the widening reach of armed gangs beyond Nigeria’s North-West, where banditry has long been concentrated.
They warn that the growing insecurity in North-Central states like Kogi poses a serious threat to farming and rural livelihoods, potentially deepening the country’s food crisis.
Meanwhile, local vigilante groups have stepped up patrols in surrounding communities, vowing to protect farmlands from further invasion as residents call for urgent government intervention.
