UPDATED: Gunmen hijack school bus with pupils in Ondo, free attendant hours later

Kayode Adegbile, Ado Ekiti.

It was a panic and though moment for parents today in Akure as unknown gunmen this morning hijacked a school bus in Oba ile Estate of Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo state, abducting one person who was on duty to convey children to school.

The incident happened around 6:45 am while the driver and the attendant were moving round to pick the Pupils of Chimola School, situated inside the Estate to their school.

According to a reliable source from the school, the gunmen numbering about eight who were on motorcycles, rounded the vehicle, forcing the driver to stop.

The source said the eight men who were armed with guns, cutlass and some other weapons, dragged the drivers down from the vehicle and threatened to kill him.

He said the bus with registration number Lagos LSD 853 FJ with Chimola Schools inscribed on it was driven away by one of the hijackers while others moved away from the scene on motorcycles.

Meanwhile, the school attendant was later released few hours after the abduction.

Police authorities in reaction said the incident is a case of theft and not abduction.

The spokesperson of the command, DSP Tee-Leo Ikoro while addressing journalists also confirmed that the attendant has been released.

He noted that the police are on the trail of the hoodlums, hoping to apprehend them and recover the bus as soon as possible.

He appealed to the law-abiding residents of the state not to be apprehensive as the police is in control of the situation and ever ready to secure their lives and property.