Gunmen hijack bus, abduct passengers in Rivers

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have hijacked a commercial bus fully-loaded with passengers in the Omerelu axis of Port Harcourt-Owerri expressway, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

According to an eyewitness, the commercial bus was returning to Port Harcourt from Owerri on Tuesday night when it was ambushed by the kidnappers.

Another commercial driver, who witnessed the incident, said well armed kidnappers shot the driver on the leg before diverting the passengers to a nearby forest.

The eyewitness said the driver has been rushed to hospital for immediate medical attention, while the whereabouts of the kidnap victims have remained unknown.

He said the matter has been reported at the Elele Police division in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.

At the time of filing this report, the Rivers State Police Command was yet to comment or confirmed the incident as said it had not gotten briefings from the Elele Police Division the jurisdiction where the incident happened for more information.

It has not been possible to ascertain the number of passengers who were on board the ill-fated bus.

However, that latest incident is happening about a week after some passengers were also kidnapped along the Emohua-Kalabari axis of the East West road.

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