A commercial vehicle’s driver and a passenger, one Mama Ariye, have been killed by unknown gunmen along Obbo-Ayegunle-Osi Road in Ekiti local government area of Kwara State.
The unknown gunmen, who attacked an 18-seater commercial bus with registration number XC 167 MUN, also abducted an unspecified number of passengers who boarded the vehicle.
Consequently, the state commissioner of Police, Mr Tuesday Assayomo, has ordered massive manhunt for the suspected kidnappers.
The spokesman of the State Police Command, Okasanmi Ajayi, who confirmed the incident, said the incident occurred at about 5.00pm on Saturday.
Ajayi added: “Information recieved on 4/6/2022 was to the effect that at about 1700hrs same day, unknown armed men forcefully attacked an 18 seater commercial bus with REG NO XC 167 MUN, along Obbo Ayegunle- Osi-road, shot into the vehicle and fatally injured the driver, one Akeem ‘M’ surname unknown and one Mama Ariye ‘F’ both of Obbo Ayegunle town and abducted yet to be specified numbers of persengers.
“On receipt of the information by the police in Obbo Ayegunle, policemen, vigilante, local hunters and available members of sister agencies on ground immediately raced to the scene. Bodies of the dead were retrieved and deposited at Carosi Hospital mortuary for autopsy ,while they stormed the bushes in an effort to get the victims rescued.
“The commissioner of police, Cp Tuesday Assayomo on hearing of the unfortunate incident directed that a massive manhunt for the perpetrators of the heinous crime must commence, gave a marching order to the Area Commander and the Divisional Police officers covering the area to move into the bushes to ensure that the kidnapped victims were rescued and the kidnappers arrested.
“While empathising with the families of the deceased, the Commissioner of Police assures that the perpetrators of the crime would be smoked out from wherever they may be hiding.
“Consequently, the CP directed a 24 hourly patrol of the area in conjunction with other sister security agencies to boost the confidence of the people and to also prevent any further attack in the area.”