Tragedy in Kogi: Combined Forces Repel Mass Abduction Attempt at GSS Iluke; Vice Principal and Two Others Killed

Security coordinates in North-Central Nigeria have been thrown into a state of high alert following a daring morning raid by a massive network of terrorists targeting a public educational facility. The Kogi State Police Command has officially confirmed that its combined tactical teams, working in synergy with military personnel and local vigilante groups, successfully frustrated an orchestrated plot to execute a mass abduction of students at Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, in the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area.

​According to an official security brief issued on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, the command received urgent distress calls at approximately 10:00 a.m. stating that an estimated gang of heavily armed bandits, riding on about forty (40) motorcycles, had breached the community boundaries and surrounded the school perimeter.

​The criminal syndicate, reportedly disguised in military uniforms, tactical gear, and wielding high-caliber ammunition, intentionally timed the invasion to disrupt ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) papers, aiming to capture students and teachers for commercial leverage. However, the Invitational Police Officer for Kabba 'A' Division rapidly mobilized a heavily fortified counter-assault team. Engaging the hoodlums in a fierce, sustained gun battle, the joint forces successfully neutralized one of the bandits and forced the remaining attackers to retreat into the dense forest of Iluke-Bunu.

​Despite the successful repulsion of the abduction plot, the violent encounter exacted a heartbreaking human toll. Institutional assessments confirmed that three civilian lives were lost during the crossfire. The casualties include Mr. Ganiyu Anifowose, the dedicated Vice Principal of the UBE Secondary/Primary School section, who was gunned down while gallantly working to shield the children under his care; Mr. Sunday Jacob Alhassan, a 70-year-old elder of the Iluke community; and Sunday Ayele, a vulnerable 6-year-old child caught in the line of fire. The police command also revealed that a security operative attached to the joint response team sustained serious gunshot injuries during the exchange and is currently undergoing emergency medical stabilization at a regional hospital.

​The tragic development has sparked widespread emotional outpourings and intense national political reactions across the country. Reacting swiftly to the security breach, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, expressed deep sorrow over the recurring pattern of school invasions, warning that Nigerian children are increasingly being reduced to pawns in a highly lucrative and deadly ransom economy.

​Mr. Obi pointed out that the Kogi incident comes barely three weeks after more than 40 schoolchildren and teachers were abducted in another sector, remaining trapped in terrorist camps. He warned that turning educational institutions into soft targets inflicts deep psychological trauma, directly accelerating Nigeria’s already catastrophic out-of-school children crisis and forcing young girls out of formal education due to systemic fear. Extolling the bravery of the slain Vice Principal, Obi extended his deepest condolences to the grieving families and demanded immediate structural reforms to protect learning environments.

​The Commissioner of Police for the Kogi State Command has ordered sustained bush-combing operations, aerial tracking, and confidence-building patrols across the Kabba/Bunu perimeter to hunt down the fleeing gang members. Residents have been urged to remain calm but intensely vigilant, channeling real-time information to the joint task forces to prevent further threats to public safety.