Gunmen believed to be kidnappers abducted Kabiru Onyene, a close aide to former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello, in a daring attack on Monday evening. The incident occurred around 7:05 PM near his office in Okene, causing panic among residents.
Eyewitnesses reported that a group of armed men stormed Onyene’s office, located close to his popular restaurant, Nahaziyat. The establishment, situated a short distance from the palace of the late Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, HRM Ado Ibrahim, was the scene of chaos as the gunmen shot sporadically before abducting Onyene and fleeing to an unknown destination.
According to Ozovehe, a witness who spoke with DAILY TRUST, he said: “Suddenly, around 7.05 pm on Monday, we started hearing staccato of sound, which many of us took as knock-out sound from fun seekers heralding the yuletide period.”
“But when we saw several people running in different directions to avoid being caught up in stray bullets, it became clearer that it was a sound of gunshots, not knock-out, as we thought initially.”
During the attack, an unidentified person was reportedly shot, though details of their condition remain uncertain. Witnesses expressed shock at the brazenness of the crime, especially given the proximity—roughly 200 meters—to a military checkpoint near the former governor’s residence.
