Five people have been reported killed, while several others were abducted during a brutal attack on a commercial bus along the Oshokoshoko/Agbede highway in Kogi State.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Friday, around 12:10 AM, when heavily armed gunmen ambushed vehicles traveling on the highway.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, the gunmen blocked the road and opened fire on passing vehicles, targeting an 18-seater Toyota bus with the registration number HJA 687 YD from Jigawa state.
The bus, which was traveling from Abuja to Ilesha in Osun State, was severely damaged during the attack.
“Five unidentified corpses with gunshot injuries were recovered at the scene,” a source reported. The victims’ bodies were later taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital mortuary in Lokoja, the state capital.
One of the passengers, identified as Naziru Aliyu, was rescued with gunshot wounds and immediately rushed to Fisayo Hospital for treatment.
The divisional police officer (DPO) in Obajana quickly mobilized joint security teams to the scene for assessment and rescue operations.
These efforts, supported by intelligence-led operations, led to the successful rescue of 14 additional passengers, who were identified as Qorib Akere, Hamsatu Umar, Maryam Abubakar, Alpha Abdullateef, Alpha Uammi Adamu, Sanni Yahaya, Engr. Wojuola Olajide, Ademola Ibrahim, Fidelis Ajeh, Musa Muhammed, Nehemiah Gyang, Kanini Moses, and Simon Obadiah.
Some of the rescued victims sustained gunshot wounds and are receiving medical treatment at Fisayo Hospital. However, authorities confirmed that four passengers remain unaccounted for.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident and are intensifying efforts to apprehend the perpetrators. They have assured the public that measures are being put in place to restore safety along the highway.
The police spokesperson, Oyiza Saliu, was unavailable for immediate comment at the time of filing this report.
