Fatal Attack by Gunmen Rocks Kogi's Okele-Ejule Community

At least seven individuals are feared deceased following a recent assault by unidentified gunmen on the Okele-Ejule area within Kogi State's Ofu Local Government Area. The assailants, reportedly clad in military camouflage, descended upon the community around 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026. They opened fire without discrimination, leading to multiple fatalities and forcing residents to flee for safety. Local inhabitants suggest the death toll might be higher, as an additional body was reportedly discovered in a nearby bush on Sunday morning.

The precise motive behind this deadly incursion remains ambiguous, with community members offering divergent explanations. While some local sources speculated that certain victims had prior criminal records, others posited a political agenda as the catalyst for the killings. A segment of residents simply characterized the event as another episode of violence perpetrated by unknown gunmen. According to information obtained by Daily Trust, an anonymous source alleged that some of those killed were under surveillance by the Department of State Services (DSS) due to their suspected involvement in kidnapping and related criminal activities across Ejule and its environs. "Those killed were alleged to be either kidnappers or informants," a community insider stated.

ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, the spokesperson for the Kogi State Police Command, verified the incident. She confirmed that police operatives retrieved three male corpses from a bush situated along the Ochadamu–Umomi Road in the Ofu Local Government Area. "On Saturday, 4th July 2026, at about 4:35 p.m., there was a report of three male corpses discovered in a bush along the Ochadamu–Umomi Road in Ofu Local Government Area," the police statement detailed. "Upon receipt of the report, police operatives, led by the DPO of Ofu Division, promptly mobilised to the scene, where the bodies, which bore suspected gunshot injuries, were recovered."

The recovered bodies were transported to the Grimard Hospital Mortuary in Anyigba for preservation and subsequent autopsy, with coroner’s procedures already initiated. The deceased have been identified as Ibrahim Lawal (30 years old), Ayuba Salisu (28 years old), and Mudi Magi (42 years old), all residents of Ejule, Ofu Local Government Area. Preliminary investigations suggest that "the victims were attacked in Ejule, Ofu Local Government Area, before their bodies were discovered along the Ochadamu–Umomi Road." The police command affirmed that "A comprehensive investigation is ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and apprehend those responsible."