Three passengers abducted by suspected bandits along the Itobe-Ajegwu-Anyigba Road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State have regained freedom after reportedly escaping from their captors while the gunmen slept off in the forest.
The victims were among travellers kidnapped on Saturday when armed hoodlums attacked two commercial buses conveying passengers along the route.
One of the affected buses was identified with registration number NKE 737 XA from Ebonyi State.
A motorcyclist was also reportedly abducted during the attack and taken into the forest alongside the passengers.
A resident of the area, Ahiaba Michael, said local vigilantes, hunters and other security operatives launched a search operation shortly after the incident, but the kidnappers initially evaded arrest.
A security source, however, disclosed that a suspect identified as Monday Agi was arrested about three hours after the abduction.
According to the source, the suspect became stranded in the bush as security pressure mounted on the kidnappers.
The source said, “During interrogation, the suspect claimed he boarded a trailer from Ekiti State but got down near the scene and decided to continue his journey on foot.
“He also claimed that after hearing gunshots, he ran into the bush alongside two herders he said he did not know.”
The source added that the suspect remained in police custody while efforts were ongoing to rescue the remaining victims and apprehend the fleeing gunmen.
Meanwhile, three of the abducted passengers, identified as Michael Adejo, Monday and Mariam Yakubu, narrated how they escaped from the kidnappers’ den after the armed men reportedly fell asleep deep inside the forest.
The victims said the attackers, estimated to be about 10 in number, were heavily armed with AK-47 rifles and pump-action guns.
One of the escapees recounted that the buses unknowingly drove into a roadblock mounted by the gunmen before the passengers were forced into the bush at gunpoint.
He said, “Immediately our bus stopped at the barricade, they ordered everybody out at gunpoint. The second bus behind us was shot at, and the driver lost control and crashed into cashew trees.
“They marched all of us into the bush, searched our pockets and collected our money, phones and other valuables.”
Another escapee, identified simply as Adaji, said they seized the opportunity to flee after noticing that some of the kidnappers had fallen asleep.
He said, “When I realised the gunmen close to where I was lying had slept off, I began to crawl slowly. After moving some distance, I stood up and started running until I reached a nearby village with two other victims.”
Efforts to get an official reaction from the Kogi State Police Command were unsuccessful as the spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, did not respond to calls and text messages as of the time of filing this report.
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