According to eyewitnesses, one of the buses was intercepted, and all passengers on board were abducted. The second bus, however, managed to escape.
Sources revealed that Nigerian Army personnel arrived shortly after the incident and engaged the attackers in a shootout, forcing them to retreat. A circulating video online shows travellers standing on the highway as soldiers worked to secure the area.
Residents have since urged motorists to avoid the route until security agencies fully stabilise the situation. In another video, a female traveller confirmed that the road had been cleared, saying, “Road don clear, all thanks to the Nigerian Army, everybody don dey go back.”
Although authorities have not issued an official statement, eyewitness accounts confirm that troops successfully repelled the attackers, with no casualties or loss of property reported.
The incident further underscores the rising insecurity along major routes in Kogi State. It comes just a day after bandits attacked Kiri High School in Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba Bunu LGA. Members of the Kiri Vigilante Group quickly mobilised and rescued all abducted students. Sadly, one vigilante and a resident were killed during the operation.
The attempted school abduction adds to the wave of mass kidnappings across Nigeria’s north-central region, where more than 400 people – mostly schoolchildren – have been seized since mid-November, drawing condemnation from global bodies, including the United Nations.
