Residents of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, are worried over the abduction of a driver and 11 passengers of a Bayelsa-Abuja bound bus by gunmen operating in Kogi State.
A commercial vehicle belonging to De-Prize Transport Company, based in Yenagoa, was reportedly attacked by gunmen on Wednesday evening, who blocked the highway.
It was learnt that two of the passengers were shot by the gunmen, one of them was said to have escaped from the assailants, while others were led into a bush in Kogi State.
While the fate of the two shot passengers was unknown, it was gathered that the kidnappers contacted the transport company and demanded N50million to free the driver.
The hoodlums reportedly called on families of their victims to demand ransom.
Investigations showed that the next-of-kin of the passengers were invited for a meeting with the management of the company to deliberate on the issue, but they failed to show up.
The incident was said to have disturbed the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Central Zone led by Kennedy Olorogun.
Olorogun said he was at the transport company to identify the passengers in the bus through the manifest.
He condemned the incident and appealed to the kidnappers to release the victims unconditionally.
Olorogun lamented the increasing risks involved in road transport and urged security agencies to intensify efforts in securing the highways, especially during the Yuletide.
Olorogun said: “It is disheartening that people no longer travel freely in this country, especially along the Kogi-Abuja corridor. We are saddened by the development and appeal to the kidnappers to release our people unconditionally.
“We are also calling on security agencies, especially those in Kogi and other gateway states to Abuja to increase their efforts to ensure the roads at their domains are safe.” Agency report
