Armed men suspected to be kidnappers have abducted mourners accompanying the remains of a late Deputy Corps Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Augustine O. Ikwue, in Kogi State.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening along the Ochadamu–Ejule road in Ofu Local Government Area when the vehicle conveying the corpse was ambushed around 6 p.m. The victims were reportedly on their way to Otukpo in Benue State for burial rites.

The deceased officer was said to have died in Osogbo after a brief illness.

According to reports, the abductors have contacted the family and are demanding a ransom of ₦450 million for the release of those taken.

Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Lawal Fagge, disclosed that nine mourners, including two FRSC personnel, were abducted during the attack.

Fagge further revealed that the corpse of the late officer was later abandoned by the assailants and recovered in Ejule community after an intensive search operation.

“We recovered the corpse of the officer in Ejule community on Friday after frantic searching and handed it over to the family. He was buried on Saturday in his hometown in Otukpo,” he said.

He added that the kidnappers used the deceased officer’s mobile phone to contact his wife, demanding a large sum of money for the release of those in captivity.

Security operatives, including the Nigerian Army, police, local hunters and vigilante groups, have since been mobilised to the area to rescue the victims and track down the perpetrators.

The incident has sparked outrage among residents and observers, many of whom described the act as deeply disturbing, noting that it reflects a growing disregard for human dignity, even in death.