A 76-year-old retired Nigerian Army Major, Pastor Joe Ajayi, has been abducted by unidentified gunmen from his home in Odo-Ape, located in the Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Ajayi, who previously served as chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the Kabba-Bunu chapter, was reportedly taken at about 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Local sources revealed that the attackers invaded the community, firing sporadically for over an hour before abducting the retired officer and taking him to an undisclosed location.
Residents have voiced serious concern over Ajayi’s fragile health, which is compounded by his age, and the dangers he may face while in captivity.
The incident has heightened fear across the community and renewed urgent demands for enhanced security in the area.
This abduction follows a recent warning from the Okun Development Association (ODA), which had raised alarms about the escalating insecurity in Okunland. The ODA had condemned the recent kidnapping of a first-class traditional ruler in Okoloke, Yagba West Local Government Area, urging swift intervention from both federal and state authorities, as well as security agencies.
Ajayi’s abduction adds to growing anxiety in the region, reinforcing the ODA’s concerns.
Earlier in the year, a council official was kidnapped from his residence, and shortly after, three adults and a child were taken from a farm in the same area—further highlighting the rising wave of insecurity threatening the community.