Gunmen Abduct 9 Peace Mass Passengers In Kogi

Heavily armed men ambushed a Peace Mass Transit commercial bus heading to the eastern part of the country and abducted nine passengers at Ogbabo Junction along Itobe-Anyigba road in Ofu local government of Kogi State yesterday, while the driver and six other passengers escaped.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 4:20 p.m.

It was learnt that the gunmen who laid  ambush at the location suddenly appeared on the highway when they noticed the bus approaching.

They forced the bus to a halt and started firing to scare the passengers.

The driver, Mr Sunday Okechi, escaped into the bush along with six passengers. But the nine other passengers were not that lucky as they were marched into the forest.

The scene of abduction was just some 300 meters to the next military checkpoint long Ogbabo-Ochadamu road. Security personnel were mobilised to the scene, where the bus with registration number ENZ-55 XS and a blue Toyota Carina ‘E’ were found abandoned.

Both vehicles have been taken into safe custody.

Security agencies in collaboration with local securities such as Vigilante Group of Nigeria members and local hunters have since commenced a search to track the kidnappers and the victims.

The Kogi state Police command in Lokoja, while confirming the development, said it was working with sister agencies to rescue the victims.

The spokesman, SP Williams Ovye Aya, in a chat with our correspondent, said they were in touch with their men at the scene of the incident.