A video obtained by SaharaReporters and captured by Egbe Mekun, a local news outlet on Thursday, shows the streets of Okunran completely quiet, with homes abandoned and no signs of movement.
Residents of Okunran community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State have reportedly abandoned their homes, leaving the town deserted, following a surge in insecurity in the area.
A video obtained by SaharaReporters and captured by Egbe Mekun, a local news outlet on Thursday, shows the streets of Okunran completely quiet, with homes abandoned and no signs of movement.
The footage portrays a community eerily empty, likened by residents to a ghost town.
SaharaReporters previously reported that suspected bandits had released 17 additional worshippers abducted from the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Aiyetoro Kiri Bunu, Kogi State, following sustained negotiations and the payment of ransom.
The latest release came after weeks of intense engagement between the kidnappers, affected families, and the Aiyetoro Kiri Bunu Development Association, which has been coordinating community efforts to secure the freedom of the victims since the abduction.
SaharaReporters gathered that the Kogi State government was not involved in the negotiations or the releases recorded so far.
The abduction occurred on Sunday, December 14, 2025, when armed men stormed the ECWA Church in Aiyetoro Kiri Bunu during a church activity and abducted more than 30 parishioners.
The attackers reportedly whisked the worshippers away to an unknown location, sparking panic and outrage within the community and beyond.
Following the incident, families of the victims, alongside community leaders, engaged in continuous and often difficult negotiations with the abductors in a desperate bid to save their loved ones.
WATCH: VIDEO: Bandit Attacks Turn Kogi Community Into Ghost Town; Homes Abandoned, Streets Empty pic.twitter.com/otZnof8YRJ
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) January 15, 2026