{"id":163592,"date":"2025-05-22T12:04:26","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T11:04:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi"},"modified":"2025-05-22T13:18:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T12:18:29","slug":"gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi","title":{"rendered":"Gunmen kidnap retired Nigerian Army Major in Kogi"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a 76-year-old retired Major of the Nigerian Army, Pastor Joe Ajayi, from his residence in Odo-Ape, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.<\/p>\n

Ajayi, a former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Kabba-Bunu chapter, was reportedly abducted around 11:30 pm on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Speaking to newsmen, a local source said the criminals invaded the area and fired sporadic gunshots for over an hour before whisking the retired army officer away to an unknown destination.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, members of community have expressed deep concern about Ajayi\u2019s deteriorating health, made more fragile by his age, and the potential risks posed by his captivity.<\/p>\n

The incident is said to have heightened fear in the area and renewed calls for improved security measures.<\/p>\n

The abduction reportedly comes shortly after the Okun Development Association, ODA, raised alarm over the increasing rate of insecurity in Okunland.<\/p>\n

The ODA is said to have earlier lamented the recent abduction of a first-class traditional ruler in Okoloke, Yagba West Local Government Area, urging both federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to take immediate action.<\/p>\n

The latest abduction further underscores the ODA\u2019s concerns and has left the community in a state of shock and anxiety.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, a council member was kidnapped from his residence. Just days later, three other individuals and a child were abducted from a farm in the same community, highlighting the growing threat of insecurity in the region.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Nigeria<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a 76-year-old retired Major of the Nigerian Army, Pastor Joe Ajayi, from his residence in Odo-Ape, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Ajayi, a former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Kabba-Bunu chapter, was reportedly abducted around 11:30 pm on Wednesday. Speaking to newsmen, a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":163591,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[190,138,396,254,17376],"class_list":["post-163592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-gunmen","tag-kidnap","tag-kogi","tag-nigeria","tag-nigerian-army-major"],"yoast_head":"\nGunmen kidnap retired Nigerian Army Major in Kogi - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a 76-year-old retired Major of the Nigerian Army, Pastor Joe Ajayi, from his residenc ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Gunmen kidnap retired Nigerian Army Major in Kogi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped a 76-year-old retired Major of the Nigerian Army, Pastor Joe Ajayi, from his residenc ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-22T11:04:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-22T12:18:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/sm_1747903747.412282.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1094\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"614\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"Gunmen kidnap retired Nigerian Army Major in Kogi\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-22T11:04:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-22T12:18:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi\"},\"wordCount\":261,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/sm_1747903747.412282.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Gunmen\",\"Kidnap\",\"Kogi\",\"Nigeria\",\"Nigerian Army Major\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/gunmen-kidnap-retired-nigerian-army-major-in-kogi\",\"name\":\"Gunmen kidnap retired Nigerian Army Major in Kogi - 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