At least five people were shot dead and numerous passengers were taken captive after armed assailants ambushed a commercial bus on Oshokoshoko/Agbede Highway in Kogi State early Friday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the attack happened around 12:10 a.m. near a military checkpoint, when the gunmen blocked the road and opened fire on vehicles, according to police reports.
The bus, an 18-seater Toyota with Jigawa state plates, was travelling from Abuja to Ilesha in Osun State when it was hit by bullets. Officers at the scene later found five unidentified bodies with gunshot wounds.
One passenger, Naziru Aliyu, survived but was wounded and taken to Fisayo Hospital for treatment, while the victims who died were taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital mortuary in Lokoja.
Security forces, led by the Divisional Police Officer in Obajana, quickly sent joint teams to the attack site to help and secure the area.
Subsequent bush-combing and intelligence-led operations led to the rescue of 14 passengers, including Qorib Akere, Hamsatu Umar and others, who were found wounded and are now receiving care at Fisayo Hospital. About four passengers remain missing and are feared to have been abducted.
This incident is part of a worrying trend of kidnappings and highway banditry in parts of Nigeria, where gunmen often ambush travellers for ransom or seize captives for negotiations.
Security forces in the state have stated that investigations are ongoing and that operations to locate the perpetrators and safely recover missing victims are being intensified, with a commitment to improve safety along major corridors like the Oshokoshoko/Agbede route.
