UNKNOWN gunmen have reportedly abducted 9 passengers at Ogbabo junction along the Itobe-Anyigba road, while the driver and six passengers miraculously escaped abduction.
This newspaper learnt that the incident occurred Friday evening at about 4:20 p.m. near Ogbabo Junction in Ofu Local Government of Kogi State.
It was learnt that the gunmen, who were laying in ambush at the location, suddenly burst onto the expressway when they noticed a Hummer bus loaded with passengers approaching.
The gunmen forced the bus to a halt and started firing guns to scare the passengers, who were travelling in a Peace Mass Transit suspected to be heading towards the East.
However, the driver of the bus, named Mr. Sunday Okechi, outsmarted the gunmen and escaped into the bush along with six passengers. But the nine other passengers were not that lucky, as they were marched into the surrounding bushes.
The scene of the abduction was just some 300 meters to the next military checkpoint along the Ogbabo-Ochadamu road. Security personnel were swiftly 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 security forces, such as the Vigilante Group of Nigeria members and local hunters, have since commenced a search-and-rescue operation to track the kidnappers and the victims.
The Kogi State Police Command in Lokoja is yet to respond to the incident. The Command spokesman, SP Williams Ovye, could not be reached on the phone as his line indicated switched off.
