Armed men suspected to be bandits have shot dead a bystander and kidnapped three passengers from an 18-seater bus on the Okene–Lokoja highway.
The attack reportedly took place around 3 p.m. last Saturday at Aku village in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to reports, the assailants intercepted a Toyota bus with registration number Benue DAP 325 LG, forcing it to halt before carrying out the abductions.
The source said, “Luckily for the passengers, a vehicle of the Kogi State Vigilante Group patrolling the highway intercepted the gunmen’s operation, and exchange of fire ensued.
“Eventually, the gunmen fled into the bush with 3 of the passengers while the driver and 3 others were rescued by the Vigilante.”
The Controller-General of the Kogi State Vigilante Services, Ibrahim Omeiza Sani (Rtd.), who witnessed the incident, reported that his men are already on the trail of the gunmen to rescue the three passengers.
Sani applauded the bravery of his men and assured that criminals would not be allowed to operate freely in the state without a challenge.
However, efforts to obtain the confirmation of the kidnap incident from the Kogi State Police Command have been unsuccessful due to limited access to the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP William Ovye. His phone line was not accessible at the time of filing this report.