Suspected kidnappers have hijacked a commercial bus and abducted 11 passengers and its driver along the Ndele-Elele axis of East-West road, in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers state. The incident happened last night when the bus was passing through that road.
According to reports, the bus departed Rumuokoro in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area at about 7pm and was heading to Ndele, Elele and Ahoada when they were ambushed by armed men who ordered the driver to come down from the bus.
One of the occupants of the bus, Bright Welekwe, who escaped narrowly, told journalists that 19 persons including the driver entered the bus at Rumuokoro but three of the passengers whose destination was Ndele, had just alighted before the incident.
“We were 19 that boarded a bus from Rumuokoro going to Ahoada. But, when we got to Ndele, three persons dropped. After they dropped, it did not take long, within the bush between Ndele and Elele Alimini, hoodlums ambushed us and tried to take us inside the bush. I escaped with four other passengers before police personnel arrived the scene. But, I am sure they did not recover the rest people that night. Even, with the help of soldiers, police officers carried five of us to a place where we saw another vehicle and joined to our destination”, he said
The State Police Command has confirmed the incident and intensified efforts to rescue the victims and track down the hoodlums.