Gunmen suspected to be bandits, have killed one bystander and abducted 3 passengers travelling in an 18-seater bus along the Okene-Lokoja road.

The incident, according to a source, occurred last Saturday at about 3 p.m. at Aku village, in Adavi Local Government of Kogi State.

The Guardian learnt that the Toyota bus (Reg. No. Benue DAP 325 LG) was on transit along the highways when the gunmen stormed the road, forcing the vehicle to stop.

The source said, “Luckily for the passengers, a vehicle of the Kogi State Vigilante Group patrolling the highway intercepted the gunmen’s operation, and an 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. (The Guardian)