In Idoma dialect, Egwanokwu means a huge snake that is capable of killing its prey and possibly swallowing it effortlessly as feed.
Unfortunately in recent times, the hill named Efu-Egwanokwu that served as a border land between Ojali and Ankpechi communities of Ohimini local government on the Otukpo-Adoka road has become a safe haven for bandits who specialize in armed robbery and kidnapping of commuters.
In 2020 to 2022 alone, at least a hundred locals and travelers have fallen victim to the bandits who operate the Egwanokwu hill for criminal purposes.
The men of the underworld according to some eyewitness statements are suspected Fulani herdsmen who occasionally come out of the bushes to attack moving vehicles, rob and abduct passengers then later demand for ransom before their release.
In the wake of these criminal activities and attacks on the Egwanokwu hill, security forces in both Otukpo and Ohimini local government areas are yet to arrest a single soul in connection to the crimes committed in the area.
A kidnap victim who escaped from the den of the kidnappers before his ransom was paid once disclosed to Idoma Voice upon his escape that over ten persons were still held captive by the kidnappers and could be possibly killed if nothing is done to by security forces to rescue them. The same victim who was working as a commercial motorcyclist (Okada rider) from Ugboju District before his abduction along Ogobia-Ogoli road gave the description of a herder who takes phones of kidnapped victims to charge at Ogobia when their batteries are down.
The said herder was arrested by locals and handed over to conventional authorities but no one ever heard anything again.
However, these breed of armed militias have continued their aggressive attacks on road users without confrontation from no one.
The highest level of attack and abduction was carried out in December 2022 as many who were trooping Otukpo and other parts of the country for Christmas and new year celebrations were swallowed on the Egwanokwu hill and only vomited after ransoms were paid.
Famous among them was Cigity Abdullahi, a popular Idoma musician, who fell victim on Christmas Day on his way to Otukpo from Abuja ahead of his show at Onyagede scheduled to hold on the 26th of December.
Even though there is a sufficiently robust military presence observable at some points along the road, those who use it still anticipate all manner of uncertainty and risk.
