Fear has gripped travelers in Kogi State after suspected bandits abducted all passengers aboard a commercial bus along the Kabba-Okene highway, one of the state’s busiest transport routes. The attack, which occurred on Wednesday 18th, has renewed concerns about worsening insecurity on roads linking Nigeria’s North Central and South-West regions.
According to reports, the victims were traveling in an SMT-marked passenger bus when heavily armed gunmen intercepted the vehicle shortly after it passed the area near Kogi State University in Kabba. Witnesses said the attackers forced the bus to stop before taking all occupants into nearby bushland. The empty vehicle was later found abandoned by the roadside.
No fatalities were immediate reported, but relatives of the passengers have been left anxiously awaiting information about their loved ones. As of now, authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The latest abduction is the latest in a series of attacks that have turned parts of Kogi’s highway network into danger zones for commuters. Residents say the Kabba-Okene corridor has witnessed repeated kidnappings and armed attacks in recent months, with criminal gangs exploiting remote stretches of road to target travelers.
Security experts have long warned that highways passing through forested areas remain vulnerable to kidnapping operation because of limited surveillance and slow emergency response times.
