Joint security operatives have rescued 8 passengers abducted on the Okene-Auchi highway in Kogi state.
On Thursday, September 26, gunmen dressed in military camouflage intercepted a Toyota Hiace bus belonging to Big Joe Ventures Ltd. along the Okene–Auchi highway in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State. The vehicle, with registration number FUG 13 XY, was conveying 12 passengers from Abuja to Benin, Edo State, when the attackers struck at Tyre village and whisked the travelers into the bush
Subsequently, the DPO Okene Division, CSP Nasir Muhammad, immediately mobilized police personnel in pursuit of the kidnappers.
Security sources said the joint team of army troops, police operatives, and vigilante groups swiftly mobilized to the scene and engaged the hoodlums. During the encounter, four expended 7.62x39mm ammunition were recovered, while eight passengers, including the driver, were rescued unhurt.
Efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining four passengers still in captivity, with operatives combing the surrounding forest.
