The Nigerian Army has confirmed the rescue of 21 passengers abducted along the Obajana–Oshokoshoko road in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State. The Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of the 12 Brigade, Lokoja, Lt. Hassan Abdullahi, confirmed the development on Saturday while responding to inquiries about the attack.

 

 

 

Suspected bandits had launched an assault on travellers along the busy Osokoko–Obajana highway, targeting several vehicles and abducting passengers after blocking the road at about 2:30pm. Eyewitnesses reported that a commercial 18-seater bus and multiple other vehicles ran into the barricade, after which the assailants “seized vehicles that ran into their barricade and forcefully abducted the passengers into the bush before security operatives arrived.”

 

 

 

Lt. Abdullahi said the 21 victims were rescued after troops, working with vigilantes, hunters and other security operatives, engaged the kidnappers in what he described as “a fierce exchange of gunfire.” He added that operations were still ongoing to rescue remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

 

 

 

A brother of one of the kidnapped victims, who requested anonymity, said his younger brother had been travelling from Owo in Ondo State to Abuja when the vehicle was attacked just a few kilometres from Obajana. He revealed that the abductors later contacted the family. “I received a call on Friday from my brother’s abductors demanding N40 million for his release. He was coming to Lokoja to inform our mother about my traditional wedding scheduled for next Friday,” he said.

 

Eyewitness accounts indicated that several vehicles were targeted during the attack, including a Toyota Hiace bus (7BGT-78LG) travelling from Owo to Abuja, a Toyota Sienna (YAB 968 AX) from Oshogbo to Kaduna, a Toyota Carina (JMU 648 AA) heading from Lokoja to Kabba, and another Toyota Hiace (GKP 178 XA) from Abuja to Ekiti State. According to a source, eight of the rescued passengers were members of two biological families, while two drivers, a truck driver and a bus driver, were also freed. “Two families lost four members each in the incident and all were rescued. Two drivers, a truck driver and a bus driver, were also among those freed,” the source said.