Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Monday attacked an 18-seater Toyota bus at Aku village along the Okene/Lokoja Federal Highway in Adavi, killing one person and abducting three passengers.
The incident occurred between 3:00 pm and 3:15 pm, according to a statement issued by the Controller-General of the Kogi State Vigilante Service (KSVS), Ibrahim Omeiza Sani.
Sani said the attackers, “suspected to be Fulani bandits in military camouflage, attacked an 18-seater Toyota bus with registration number Benue DAP 325 LG.”
He explained that operatives of the KSVS Osara Command, supported by six local hunters, swiftly responded to a distress call and engaged the assailants in a gun battle.
“Although the suspects escaped into the forest with three kidnapped passengers, the bus driver and three others were rescued from the scene,” he said.
“However, during the mayhem, a bystander hit by a stray bullet died.”
The Controller-General added that intelligence gathering had already commenced to track down the kidnappers and secure the release of the abducted passengers.
He praised the “gallantry of his men and the hunters,” while commending Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for “his unwavering commitment to prioritise security across all nooks and crannies of the state.”
Sani also lauded the State Security Adviser, Jerry Omodara, for “his efforts and continual identification with KSVS in the overall resolve to ensure a safer Kogi State.”
He directed his personnel to intensify operations, declaring that the Vigilante Service “will pursue all criminal elements, including kidnappers, to apprehend and bring them to face the law.”
Sani further urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to security agencies.
The latest attack comes barely a week after the District Head of Bagaji Odo in Omala Local Government Area, David Akpa, who was abducted on September 1, regained his freedom after being held by unidentified assailants.
