Egbe, Kogi State — Residents of Egbe town in Yagba West LGA are on high alert after suspected terrorist reportedly deployed a dangerous new method: spraying chemical substances inside homes to incapacitate victims before abducting them.
According to local sources, two separate attacks occurred in the early hours of Monday, November 24, 2025. In one incident, the gunmen reportedly broke into the house of a staff member of the local ECWA Hospital in Odorum, jumped the perimeter fence, and spent over 90 minutes inside the compound.
Eyewitnesses say the attackers used a chemical described as similar to “turari” (a traditional sedative smoke) in the rooms, which caused sudden weakness among those who inhaled it. One of the residents, who was not in his usual room at the time, recovered enough strength to alert vigilantes, prompting a quick counter-response.
Vigilante operatives from Egbe arrived swiftly, fired warning shots, and forced the attackers to retreat into the bush with the potential victims. In a second reported incident near Baba Labourer / Government Secondary School later that day, vigilantes again engaged the intruders, this time successfully averting an abduction.
The use of chemical incapacitation has raised deep concern in the community, with many residents warning that bandits are becoming increasingly sophisticated and dangerous. Local vigilante groups, praised for their rapid response, are now calling for greater government support to counter what they describe as an escalating threat.