Kidnappers have abducted a mother and her three sons from farmland in Ugbene Ajima, in the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Reports indicate that the incident took place on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at Nwiyi Ivuruge, along the road that leads to Umualogo Village in the Nkpologu community, a neighboring community bordering Ugbene Ajima.
The victims have been identified as Mrs. Bridget Okey and her three sons, Chukwubuike, Chukwuemeka, and Chijioke. Chukwubuike, one of the children, is reportedly 14 years old.
According to reports, the family was harvesting cassava on their farmland when the suspected kidnappers attacked, seized the four victims, and took them away to an unknown destination.
The abduction has intensified worries about the safety of rural residents, especially farmers, who are increasingly vulnerable to attacks while going about their daily activities.
A community leader, Sam Otti, who bears the chieftaincy title of Ikeoha Ugbene, urged the government and security agencies to step in without delay and secure the victims’ release.
Otti stated that the incident had been reported to local vigilantes, forest guards, and the police, and he appealed to the Enugu State Government, the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Council, and other relevant authorities to commit every necessary resource to rescuing the abducted family.
He said, “We appeal to the Enugu State Government, Uzo-Uwani Local Government Council, the Nigeria Police Force, and other relevant security agencies to urgently deploy every necessary resource towards securing the immediate and safe release of Mrs. Bridget Okey and her three sons.
“The family must not be abandoned to its fate. Every possible effort must be made to ensure that the victims return home alive and unharmed.
“Subjecting innocent children to the horrors of captivity for financial gain is barbaric and an affront to our collective humanity. No society should tolerate a situation in which children become bargaining chips in the hands of criminal elements.
“More troubling is the apparent spread of insecurity into rural communities, where farmers and other residents are increasingly exposed to abduction in places that should ordinarily be safe for their daily activities.
“Our farmlands must not become hunting grounds for kidnappers. Our villages must not become safe havens for criminals, and our children must not grow up in fear of accompanying their parents to the farms.
“We therefore call on the relevant authorities to act swiftly and decisively. The overriding priority must be to rescue Mrs. Bridget Okey and her sons and reunite them with their family. May their ordeal end in freedom, and may they return home safely.”
In the meantime, the Chairman of the Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area, Barrister Chijioke Ezugwu, visited the site of the incident on Saturday and assured residents that efforts were being mobilized to rescue the victims.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command for comments on the incident were unsuccessful as of the time this report was filed.
