12 killed in Kupa, Kogi State bandit raid sparks community pleas and government arrests

Armed bandits attacked the Kupa community in the Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria, killing at least 12 people in the villages of Guchidan, Mikugi and Abugi. Residents said the assault displaced families, left farms empty and exposed the district’s security gaps – the area is served by a single unarmed police officer and a Divisional Police Office that has not yet become operational. Community leaders, including the Maiyaki of Kupa, HRH Dauda Kabir Isah, appealed for immediate government intervention, warning that “one unarmed officer cannot protect 88 villages.”

The Kogi State government condemned the killings, describing them as “criminal acts that have no place in our society.” Commissioner for Information Kingsley Fanwo announced the arrest of the vigilante who killed an unarmed herder and of those responsible for the reprisal attack, and Governor Ahmed Ododo extended condolences while ordering security agencies to restore peace.