An unspecified number of passengers in an 18-seater bus heading for Abuja from the eastern region have been reportedly abducted at Ochadamu along Anyigba-Itobe road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to Daily Trust, an eyewitness stated that the incident happened around 4pm on Monday at a kidnapping hotspot on the highway.
The report from the areas stated that the hoodlums in their numbers flagged down the bus at gunpoint and whisked the passengers to the bush.
The locals added further that kidnapping activities in the Ochadamu flash point had reduced drastically, but picked up recently after the army checkpoint in the areas were dismantled following a fatal accident on the highway.
The security operatives, including the vigilantes in the areas were said to be making frantic efforts to rescue the kidnapped victims since the incident happened.
However, Navy Commander Jerry Omodara (rtd), the state security adviser to Governor Yahaya Bello, who confirmed the incident on Thursday said the state government was on top of it.
Omodara stated that the state government had put enough measures in place to stem the tide of criminal activities in the area.
He said since the hoodlums were coming back to operate on the road again, the government would rejig its measures, adding that the hoodlums would be neutralised shortly.
