Gunmen abducted an unspecified number of passengers from three commercial buses in two separate attacks along the Itobe-Achigili-Anyigba highway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State on Sunday, according to local sources cited by Daily Trust.
The first attack occurred around 4 p.m. when a Peace Mass Transit Hummer bus, fleet number 2838, was intercepted between Ojuwo-Ajengo and Mamerebo settlements. The vehicle, en route to Abuja from the eastern part of the country, ran into a barricade mounted by the assailants.
A second attack took place around 6 p.m. between Ojodu and Ojuwo-Olijo villages, where a Sharon bus with registration number Kogi ERE 138 AE and a Sienna bus with registration BB 362 MKA were stopped by gunmen using similar barricades.
Sources said the attackers forced all occupants of the three vehicles into the bush. “We found two cellphones in the grass around one of the buses, which was later handed over to the security operatives. The armed men left with all the occupants of the three buses,” a source from a local security outfit said. The exact number of abducted passengers remains unclear pending review of the buses’ passenger manifests.
Following the incidents, a joint security operation involving personnel of the Nigerian Army, police, local vigilantes and hunters was mobilised to the area to rescue the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
As of the time of reporting, the Kogi State Police Command and other security agencies had not issued an official statement confirming the attacks or providing details on the number of people taken. The highway, a key transit corridor, has experienced repeated security challenges in recent months, raising concerns among commuters and transport operators. Authorities are expected to provide updates as the rescue operation progresses.
