Panic as gunmen abduct mother, three sons in Enugu community

A mother and her three sons have been abducted by suspected kidnappers at a farmland in Ugbene Ajima, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Nwiyi Ivuruge, along the road leading to Umualogo Village in Nkpologu community, a neighbouring community that shares a boundary with Ugbene Ajima.

The victims were identified as Mrs Bridget Okey and her three sons, Chukwubuike, Chukwuemeka and Chijioke.

One of the abducted children, Chukwubuike, is reportedly 14 years old.

The abduction has raised fresh concerns over the security situation in the area, particularly the safety of residents working on their farmlands.

The family was reportedly harvesting cassava on their farmland when the suspected kidnappers struck, seized the four victims and whisked them away to an unknown destination.

The abduction has heightened concerns over the safety of rural residents, particularly farmers, who are increasingly exposed to attacks while carrying out their daily activities.

A community leader, Sam Otti, who holds the chieftaincy title of Ikeoha Ugbene, called on the government and security agencies to urgently intervene and secure the victims’ release.

Otti said the incident had been reported to local vigilantes, forest guards and the police, while appealing to the Enugu State Government, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Council and other relevant authorities to deploy every necessary resource to rescue the abducted family.

He said: “We appeal to the Enugu State Government, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Council, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to urgently deploy every necessary resource towards securing the immediate and safe release of Mrs Bridget Okey and her three sons.

“The family must not be abandoned to its fate. Every possible effort must be made to ensure that the victims return home alive and unharmed.

“Subjecting innocent children to the horrors of captivity for financial gain is barbaric and an affront to our collective humanity. No society should tolerate a situation in which children become bargaining chips in the hands of criminal elements.

“More troubling is the apparent spread of insecurity into rural communities, where farmers and other residents are increasingly exposed to abduction in places that should ordinarily be safe for their daily activities.

“Our farmlands must not become hunting grounds for kidnappers. Our villages must not become safe havens for criminals, and our children must not grow up in fear of accompanying their parents to the farms.

“We therefore call on the relevant authorities to act swiftly and decisively. The overriding priority must be to rescue Mrs Bridget Okey and her sons and reunite them with their family. May their ordeal end in freedom, and may they return home safely.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Barrister Chijioke Ezugwu, visited the scene of the incident on Saturday and assured residents that efforts were being mobilised to rescue the victims.

Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command for comments on the incident were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

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