Herdsmen Kidnap 19 Passengers in Imo, Ogun

By Nkasi Kolie

Suspected herdsmen, Thursday , abducted 15 passengers in a bus in Imo State, while four other passengers were kidnapped by gunmen also suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in Ogun state. 

The incident in Imo happened on Arondizuogu-Okigwe Express Road at about 8am.

It was  gathered that the suspected Fulani herdsmen believed to be harbouring around Eke-Onuimo, in Onuimo Local Government Area of the State, jumped out from the bush and attacked the bus fully loaded with passengers and whisked them into the bush in the area.

The source revealed that the herdsmen also stopped another commercial vehicle and abducted three passengers from it and left the others to go.

Also, four passengers riding in a car on the Ibadan-Ijebu Ode Road were kidnapped, Wednesday morning, by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.

A witness, who escaped with a bullet wound, said the incident occurred around 8.25am. The four victims, he said, were taken into the forest.

He, however, stated that he saw operatives of Amotekun Corps who rushed to the scene on getting information about the incident, adding that they went into the forest with a view to rescuing the abducted persons.

The witness said: “I was driving towards Ijebu Ode when Fulani herdsmen, numbering eight, suddenly came out from the bush and started shooting at us.

“Immediately, I slowed down to reverse, but another car was already behind me. While trying to drive away and escape, I was shot in the hand. But, we managed to flee the scene with my car  riddled with bullets.

“But, the occupants of the car behind me were not lucky as they were rounded up by the herdsmen. They were five in number, but four of them were abducted. They spared one elderly man, who is visually impaired.

“Later, operatives of the Amotekun Security Corps came and they entered the forest to rescue those that were kidnapped. We went to the Divisional Police station at Orita Challenge to report the incident. But we were instructed by the policemen there to report the matter at Idi Ayunre police station.”