KEY POINTS
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Gunmen abducted 10 passengers, including a recently discharged corps member, on the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan road.
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Kidnappers reportedly increased their ransom demand from N20m to N25m.
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Police and vigilantes entered the forest to search for the victims.
Gunmen have abducted 10 passengers, including a recently discharged National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member, after attacking a commercial bus along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan road in Ogun State.
The victims were reportedly taken into a nearby forest on Tuesday evening after armed men intercepted the vehicle shortly after it passed through Ijebu-Ode. One of the passengers, also an NYSC member, escaped, while the remaining 10 people were taken away.
A sister of one of the abducted passengers, identified as Abigael, confirmed the incident, saying her brother, Dapo, who had recently completed his NYSC programme in Edo State, was among those held by the gunmen.
Kidnappers Demand N25m Ransom
Abigael said her brother had been travelling from Edo State to Ibadan and regularly updated the family on his journey. He had also sent them a video showing traffic congestion shortly before communication with him was lost.
The family learnt about the abduction shortly after 7pm on Tuesday when another corps member who had been travelling in the same bus escaped and contacted them.
According to Abigael, the kidnappers later used her brother’s phone to contact the family and initially demanded a ransom of N20 million. The demand was subsequently increased to N25 million during another call at about 6:59pm.
She said the abductors gave the family 24 hours to raise the money and threatened the victims if their demands were not met. The family appealed for more time but said the kidnappers insisted that payment must be made before the Thursday deadline.
Abigael added that the family reported the incident at the Ijebu-Ode Police Station. She also said they visited the station on Wednesday and were informed that security operatives were yet to return from a search operation in the forest.
Escaped Passenger Recounts Attack
The corps member who escaped also narrated the incident in a voice note shared with journalists, alleging that the driver suddenly diverted from the main road onto a bush path after the vehicle encountered traffic.
He said passengers became suspicious and repeatedly asked the driver to turn back, but the vehicle continued towards the forest.
According to his account, the bus came under attack as it approached the gunmen’s hideout, with the assailants firing several shots. He alleged that one person was shot during the attack before the gunmen took the other passengers away.
The survivor said he managed to hide in the bush and later found himself separated from the abducted passengers. He also noted that some victims left their phones inside the bus during the incident.
He further disclosed that police officers and local vigilantes subsequently entered the forest in search of the abductees.
Police Confirm Abduction as Families Seek Rescue
A senior source in the Ogun State Police Command confirmed the abduction of passengers along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan road but declined to provide further details about the circumstances of the attack or the ongoing rescue operation.
Abigael said the bus and some belongings belonging to the passengers had been recovered and taken to the police station. However, the 10 victims remained in captivity as of the time of the report.
She appealed to the Ogun State Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the passengers, expressing concern over the victims’ prolonged stay in the forest and the family’s inability to raise the N25 million ransom.
The incident has renewed concerns about the safety of motorists and passengers travelling along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan corridor, particularly amid reports of armed attacks and kidnappings on major roads in the region.
