December 18, 2025 — Dalena Reporters
Suspected Terrorist dressed in military uniforms have killed a serving Nigerian Army soldiers and abducted 13 passengers during coordinated attacks on two commercial vehicles along the Okene–Auchi Federal Highway, a key north–south corridor, security sources said.
The ambush occurred at about 5:35 p.m. on Tuesday (December 16) when the assailants intercepted a green Toyota Sienna travelling from Abuja to Delta State, according to counter-terrorism publication Zagazola Makama. Six occupants were abducted from that vehicle while three passengers escaped from the scene.
In a separate but simultaneous stop, the same gunmen halted a white Toyota Hiace bus travelling from Delta to Abuja, abducting seven passengers while four others were rescued.
Among those seized was a non-commissioned officer of the Nigerian Army, who identified himself as a soldier during the attack. The gunmen opened fire, wounding him in the legs and thighs. He later died of his injuries, security sources confirmed.
Both vehicles were later recovered and towed to a police station for safekeeping, and authorities recovered five empty 7.62 mm ammunition shells, believed to have been fired from an AK-47 rifle, at the scene to aid investigations. The body of the slain soldier was deposited at Okengwe General Hospital mortuary for autopsy, while statements were taken from rescued passengers.
In response, military and security operatives have launched joint rescue operations, including bush combing and intensified surveillance along the highway, aimed at locating and freeing the abducted victims and apprehending the perpetrators. Authorities have assured road users that efforts are underway to strengthen security along the Okene–Auchi corridor to deter further attacks.
The incident highlights the continuing security challenges affecting major highways in Kogi and neighbouring states, where travellers often face ambushes and kidnappings by heavily armed criminal elements exploiting poor patrol coverage.