Bandits Abduct Passengers After Ambushing 18-Seater Bus on Osokoko–Obajana Road in Kogi

Bandits on Thursday launched an attack along the Osokoko–Obajana route in Kogi State, seizing an 18-seater commercial bus and abducting all its passengers. A second bus narrowly escaped the ambush.

Sources say the number of kkdnapped victims has not yet been confirmed, though eyewitnesses reported that everyone in the intercepted bus was taken. Soldiers arrived shortly after and engaged the attackers, prompting the viral video that showed travellers waiting on the highway until the military cleared the road.

Eyewitnesses said the assault happened abruptly as the bandits tried to block several vehicles. Residents have since cautioned motorists to avoid the route until security forces stabilise the area.

While authorities are yet to issue an official statement, witnesses confirmed that troops successfully repelled the attack without any recorded casualties or property loss.

This incident adds to rising security tensions in Kogi, where armed groups continue to target motorists. It also follows an attempted attack on Kiri High School in Kabba Bunu LGA a day earlier, where vigilantes rescued all abducted students. One vigilante and a resident were reportedly killed during the operation.

The latest assault comes amid a spike in kidnappings across Nigeria’s north-central region, where more than 400 people mostly schoolchildren have been abducted since mid-November, drawing strong criticism from local communities and international bodies.