By Uche Amunike
The Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the God is Good (GIG) Motors and ABC Transport Kidnapping which occurred on Saturday at Ayele Adumu in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to a statement released by ABC Transport, the incident occurred by 1.30pm on Saturday, when unknown persons blocked and attacked oncoming vehicles which included an ABC Sienna that was heading from Enugu to Abuja with two passengers.
The statement partly read: ‘The two passengers and the bus driver were led into the bush alongside other passengers of other vehicles and have since been held hostage.’
They however said that they were actively working hand in hand with relevant security agencies to bring a solution to the matter as quickly as possible.
The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident through a statement signed by her Spokesperson, William Ayah. Speaking, through the statement, he assured that the Divisional Police Officer of the area was already in the bush alongside local vigilantes and hunters, making efforts to rescue the victims.
According to him, the driver of the GIG Motors bus has already been successfully rescued by the security operatives. He further stated that the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, CP Bethrand Onuoha already deployed an extra Tactical Squad which involved a Quick Response Unit, Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Unit and conventional police personnel to the area.
He averred that they were doing everything possible in the bush combing operation to see that all victims of the ABC Transport kidnapping are safely rescued.
Lately, there has been an increase in the rate of kidnapping across major highways all over the country. Recently, a driver, teachers and the pupils of Apostolic Faith Group of Schools, Emure-Ekiti in Ekiti State were
Kidnapped by gunmen. The teacher and pupils were released after their abductors collected a ransom of N15m. The driver was however not lucky as he was murdered by their captors.
On January 29, two, out of three monarchs in Ekiti State were murdered on their way from a meeting in Irele-Ekiti. The Police already arrested 13 suspected kidnappers, over their murder.
On their part, the ABC transport has stated that their top priority remained the well-being and safety of their passengers and crew. To that effect, they were already taking all the right measures to see that a quick and thorough resolution of the problem at hand is obtained.
Their statement further read: ‘We understand the concerns raised by the public due to the reports in circulation, and we urge everyone to rely on official statements from ABC Transport for accurate and up-to-date information. Our team is working tirelessly to provide updates as the situation unfolds.’
‘We appreciate the cooperation of our passengers, stakeholders, and the public in allowing us the time and space to address this matter responsibly.’
‘We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and security for our valued passengers and staff’, the statement concluded.
