Gunmen Abduct 9 Passengers In Kogi

Heavily armed men on Friday ambushed a commercial bus where they abducted 9 passengers in Ogbabo Junction along Itobe-Anyigba Road in Kogi State.

LEADERSHIP also gathered that the driver of the vehicle and six other passengers miraculously escaped the abduction.

The incident occurred on Friday evening at about 4:20 p.m. near Ogbabo Junction in Ofu local government of Kogi State.

The gunmen, who laid ambush at the location suddenly stormed the expressway on sighting the passenger-loaded Toyota commercial bus.

The gunmen forced the bus, owned by one of the popular transport companies to a halt, before firing sporadically into the air to scare the passengers.

However, the driver of the bus named Mr Sunday Okechi outsmarted the gunmen and escaped into the bush along with six other passengers.

Nine other passengers were not that lucky as they were marched into the forest by the hoodlums.

The scene of the abduction was just some 300 meters to the military checkpoint long Ogbabo-Ochadamu Road.

Security personnel however were swiftly mobilised to the scene, where the bus with registration number ENZ-55 XS and a blue Toyota Carina ‘E’ were found abandoned.

Security agencies in collaboration with personnel of local security agencies comprising the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and local hunters have since commenced a search-and-rescue operation to track the kidnappers and the victims.

Meanwhile, the Kogi State Police Command, while confirming the unfortunate development, said it was working with other sister agencies to rescue the victims.

Spokesman of the Command, SP Williams Ovye Aya, who confirmed the attack in a chat with our correspondent, said police were making efforts to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators.

“Yes, we are in touch with our men. The Command is making efforts in collaboration with the military, Vigilantes and Hunters to rescue the victims and arrest the criminals.