By Jude Chinedu, Enugu
Gunmen, last Friday, abducted 14 people along the Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka Expressway in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The victims were traveling in a fully loaded bus from Enugu town to Obollo-Afor when they fell victims to the heavily armed assailants who launched a sudden attack.
The gunmen forcibly took all the occupants of the bus, including the driver, hostage. However, it was later discovered that two women managed to escape. They hid beneath the bus while the rest of the passengers were led into the nearby bush by the gunmen.
One driver, who preferred to remain anonymous, confirmed the incident, stating, “it is dangerous to travel on the Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka road at night.
“One of our drivers, along with his passengers, was kidnapped on Friday. They were all taken captive, except for the fortunate two ladies who sought refuge under the bus.”
He further explained that the ladies were able to evade capture due to the rain and the late hour.
“Nobody has received any communication from the abductors thus far. We are filled with fear. That road has become a death trap,” he added.
Despite the presence of multiple military and police checkpoints along the Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka road, it has become a notorious hotbed for kidnappers and armed robbers. Innocent travellers have fallen victims to these criminals, resulting in numerous cases of abduction for ransom.
The situation calls for urgent attention and enhanced security measures to ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals traveling on this route.
It is imperative that the authorities take swift action to bring an end to these heinous acts and restore peace and security to the area.
Also, the police command in Kaduna State has confirmed that two people were killed and three others kidnapped by suspected bandits on September 15 in a community in the state.
The command’s Acting Public Relations Officer, Mr Mansir Hassan, who confirmed the development yesterday, in Kaduna, said the incident took place in Dogon Noma-Unguwan Gamu community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.
He said the bandits invaded the community at about 6:30am, killing and abducting the victims. The spokesman assured that the bandits would eventually be arrested to face the wrath of the law.