Ayomidele Oluwasusi
EKITI – Gun-wielding kidnappers have abducted some passengers of a bus in southern Nigeria.
The 18-passenger bus was ambushed at Emure Ile in the southwestern state of Ekiti, with passengers on board kidnapped by the bandits.
The incident reportedly occurred on the outskirts of Emure-Owo on Sunday night, at the boundary between Ekiti and Ondo states, as the bus was returning from the country’s southeastern city of Onitsha in Anambra State.
A source at the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, Ado-Ekiti Motor Terminal branch, said the bandits kidnapped the driver, identified as Sunday Emmanuel, alongside other passengers, demanding a ransom of ₦30 million for each victim.
The source told a local news outlet that the kidnappers abandoned some children in the bus, whose cries attracted the attention of passersby in the early hours of Monday, before it was reported to the nearest police station.
The source added that two passengers escaped before police arrived at the scene to recover the bus.
“They drove the bus into the bush and dragged people inside the bush. The called the family of the driver and I pleaded to speak with the driver and after our conversation, they demanded a ransom of ₦30 million. They said they would call back, but they have not done so yet,” Vanguard newspaper quoted the source as saying.
“They left some children on the bus, and it seems that some people at the the farm saw the kids and alerted the police in Emure-Owo
“The driver’s union in Ado-Ekiti is currently holding a meeting on how to reach out to the kidnappers.
The source added that two of the kidnapped victims escaped while they were being herded into the bush.”
The Ekiti State police command could not be reached for comments.
The family of the bus driver also said they are yet to receive further calls from the abductors.
A family member noted that the driver’s union in Ado-Ekiti had been contacted about the development.
The source said the kidnappers have not communicated with the family after their initial demand of ₦30m ransom.
“When I called the union, they said they are also making calls on how to sort out the ransom. The union called me again today and I told them I have not heard again from the kidnappers and no one knows how to reach out to them,” the source who pleaded anonymity – said.
“We learned that the union held a meeting today to discuss the ransom and how to negotiate with the kidnappers.”
KOIKI Media bringing the world 🌎 closer to your doorstep
Follow the KOIKIMEDIA NEWS 🗞️ CHANNEL on WhatsApp