A 76-year-old retired Major of the Nigerian Army, Pastor Joe Ajayi, has been reportedly abducted from his home in Odo-Ape, located in the Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, by unidentified gunmen.

Ajayi, who previously served as the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for the Kabba-Bunu chapter, was taken around 11:30 PM on Wednesday.

Daily Post quoted local sources as having disclosed that the assailants invaded the area, firing indiscriminately for over an hour before forcibly taking the retired officer to an undisclosed location.

Community members have voiced significant concern regarding Ajayi’s declining health, exacerbated by his age, and the dangers associated with his captivity.

This incident has intensified fear within the community and has reignited demands for enhanced security measures.

Naija News reports that the abduction follows a recent warning from the Okun Development Association (ODA) regarding the escalating insecurity in Okunland.

The ODA had previously expressed distress over the kidnapping of a prominent traditional ruler in Okoloke, Yagba West Local Government Area, urging immediate intervention from both federal and state authorities, as well as security forces.

This latest incident further emphasises the ODA’s apprehensions and has left the community in a state of shock and unease.

Earlier this year, a council member was also kidnapped from his home, and shortly thereafter, three individuals and a child were abducted from a local farm, underscoring the increasing threat of insecurity in the area.