Ten members of the United Evangelical Church (UEC), New Layout, Lokoja, Kogi State, including a reverend, escaped being kidnapped by gunmen in Ajaokuta on the Ajaokuta-Itobe road at the weekend while they were returning to Lokoja after attending a wedding in Dekina LGA.

One of the victims, John A. Ausa, explained that their bus came under gunfire at about 3pm by suspected kidnappers.

He said, “It was by the help of God that we were miraculously saved from the kidnappers. They fired several gunshots on the head of our driver, but miraculously, God did not allow any of the bullets to hit the head and any other part of his body.”

He, however, said some of them received gunshot injuries, were treated in a hospital in Lokoja and discharged.

Reacting, the state’s police spokesman, SP William Aya, said it was an attempted kidnapping that was nipped in the bud shortly after men of the command got wind of it.

He explained that, “The police and the military swung into action engaged the hoodlums, which forced them to escape, and all the passengers were rescued.” (Text, excludes headline: Daily Trust)