Gunmen abduct passengers of two Abuja-bound buses

Reports reaching Newsverge indicate that kidnappers have abducted passengers of two Abuja-bound buses in the Inele-Eteke Ogugu, New Road area of Kogi East district.

The incident involved a GIG & ABC buses heading to Abuja from the eastern part of the country. The source said that the GIG bus left Umuahia in Abia State at 7:30 am on Saturday on its way to Abuja, the nation’s seat of power. In the wake of the abduction, he said GIG had contacted security services to track the abductees.

The command’s spokesman William Ayah in a Monday statement said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area, local vigilantes, and hunters have been in the bush in an effort to rescue the victims.

He said the incident involved the GIG bus with 12 passengers and a Sienna bus belonging to ABC Transport with two occupants. But the driver of GIG Motors was later rescued by security operatives, the spokesman added.

According to him, Kogi State Commissioner of Police CP Bethrand Onuoha has deployed an additional Tactical Squad consisting of a Quick Response Unit, Police Mobile Force, Counter-Terrorism Unit, and conventional police personnel to the area to continue with the bush combing to ensure all victims are rescued unhurt.

The abduction is the latest in the kidnapping incidents that have continued to gain momentum in several parts of the country despite efforts by security agencies and assurances from governments across different levels.