Gunmen suspected be kidnappers reportedly hijacked a fully loaded commercial bus conveying 18 passengers along Port Harcourt-Owerri Road in Rivers State.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Wednesday night at Omurele community in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
According to The Guardian, bus driver identified as Emeka, popularly called Car Wash, was ambushed by the gunmen while returning to Port Harcourt from Owerri along with his conductor and 18 passengers.
The suspected kidnappers also shot the driver in the leg, according to a commercial driver who was driving behind the victims.
He said shooting the driver, the assailants left him in a pool of blood and took the kidnapped passengers into a nearby forest.
The eyewitness, who gave his name as Dan Jumbo, said the victim was immediately rushed to the hospital for medical attention while his vehicle, adding that his vehicle was still at the Pipeline area along the Omurele-Elele axis of Port Harcourt-Owerri Road.
He said the incident was reported to police officers at Elele Division.
He said, “There is this 18-seater bus coming from Owerri and getting to Omerelu, the Pipeline area, some group of men suspected to be kidnappers came out from the nearby bush and shot the driver in his leg, leaving him unconscious while they took other passengers into the bush.
“The armed men left the bus and carried 18 passengers including the bus conductor and left the driver because he could not walk.
“They took them to the forest that leads to Umudioga on the right side of the road if one is coming from Owerri.”
The Rivers State Police Command could not confirm or deny the incident. The command’s spokesman, SP Irene Ugbo, said he had yet to receive information about the incident.