Okunland Under Siege: Yorùbá Communities in Kogi Cry Out as Killings, Kidnappings Escalate

By Ademola Adekusibe

September 12, 2025

Okunland, the Yorùbá-speaking region of Kogi State, is bleeding. For over seven months, its communities have endured a relentless wave of violent attacks that have left many dead, displaced families, and shattered livelihoods.

On Tuesday, September 9, Egbe town in Yagba West Local Government came under fire in one of the deadliest attacks yet. Armed men stormed the community, killing two police officers instantly, while two others who had been kidnapped were later found lifeless by evening.

The bloodshed did not stop there. Later that same day, two members of a local vigilante group were ambushed and brutally murdered. In another chilling incident that evening, gunmen intercepted an 18-seater bus along the Lokoja–Obajana road and kidnapped every passenger on board.

Residents now say their communities are living under a state of siege. Farmers can no longer go to their fields. Market women fear traveling on highways. Food prices are rising sharply as farm produce becomes scarce.

“Okunland is bleeding, and yet government looks away,” a community elder lamented. “Are we no longer part of Nigeria? Are Yorùbá lives in Kogi not worth protecting?”

The killings have sparked outrage among the Yorùbá in Kogi and beyond, with calls mounting for both the Kogi State Government and the Federal Government to act decisively. Community leaders warn that unless urgent steps are taken, the once-peaceful Okunland risks becoming ungovernable.

Observers note that while other regions receive swift responses when attacks occur, the plight of the Yoruba in Kogi has been met with silence and neglect.

The people of Okunland are now left with haunting questions: Why Okunland? Who benefits from keeping Yoruba communities under siege? And how much longer will they continue to bleed before decisive action is taken?

OKUNLAND IS BLEEDING.