By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
Abugi community in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State has been thrown into mourning following the kidnap and killing of an Ogbo trader, simply identified as Alloyi, by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
Eyewitnesses said Alloyi was abducted at the front of his shop in Abugi, where he sold motor spare parts, before being whisked away by the assailants.
His body was later discovered on the outskirts of Abugi, a development that has thrown residents into deep shock.
The late trader was widely known as the first to establish both a filling station and a pure water factory in Abugi, businesses that provided jobs for many and boosted local commerce.
Community members described him as a hardworking and generous man.
“He was a peace-loving man whose investments changed this community. To see him killed this way is devastating,” a resident told our reporter.
The killing has renewed fear in Abugi, which has witnessed repeated attacks in recent weeks.
Recall that only weeks ago, two policemen and a passerby were shot dead by gunmen in the same axis.
A youth leader in the area, Baba Yusuf, lamented the rising insecurity.
“If someone like Alloyi, who has done so much for Kupa Kingdom, could be killed like this, then nobody is safe. We need urgent intervention,” he said.
Security operatives confirmed the recovery of Alloyi’s body, noting that investigations were ongoing to track down the perpetrators.
They urged residents to provide credible information that could help curb such incidents.
Meanwhile, sympathisers have continued to visit Alloyi’s residence in Abugi to console his family, as traditional rites began for his burial.
