WHERE IS THEIR RUGGEDITY? 25 CULTISTS ABDUCTED DURING INITIATION CEREMONY IN PLATEAU STATE STILL MISSING AS FEAR GRIPS COMMUNITY

Months after their abduction, the whereabouts of twenty-five suspected cult members kidnapped during an initiation ceremony along the Jos–Bauchi Road in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State remain unknown.

The incident, which occurred on the night of Saturday, July 26, sent shockwaves across the region after armed bandits reportedly stormed a secluded forest where the cultists were allegedly conducting initiation rites for new recruits.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers surrounded the group, overpowered them, and whisked everyone away to an undisclosed location.

Since the abduction, neither the victims nor their supposed cult associates have made any move or statement, raising curious questions among residents and security observers. Many are now asking where the supposed “ruggedity” and fearsome reputation of the cultists have gone and why none of their fellow members has launched any form of retaliation or rescue attempt.

Community members have expressed mixed feelings, some mocking the irony of hardened cultists falling prey to a more organized criminal group, while others fear that the kidnappers might have eliminated or detained them for ransom or control over the area.

Security operatives have yet to issue an official statement, though local sources confirm increased patrols and intelligence operations around the Jos–Bauchi axis.

The strange disappearance of the 25 abducted cultists has added to growing concerns about insecurity, the proliferation of armed groups, and the rise of cult-related activities in Northern Nigeria. As days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months, the silence surrounding their fate continues to fuel speculation and anxiety among residents and many are left wondering: where are the cultists, and where is their so-called ruggedity now?