The Edo State Police Command has launched an intensive search-and-rescue operation after suspected kidnappers attacked a commercial bus on the Lagos–Benin Expressway, killing the driver and abducting passengers. The incident occurred on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m. along the Iguobazuwa axis of the highway.
According to police spokesperson ASP Eno Ikoedem, a GUO Transport Company bus carrying five passengers was ambushed by gunmen who opened fire on the vehicle, fatally wounding the driver. The driver’s body has been deposited at a hospital mortuary, and the bus has been recovered for further investigation.
A female passenger who sustained gunshot injuries was rescued by responding officers and taken to a hospital, where she is receiving treatment and is said to be in stable condition. However, three other passengers were forcibly abducted and taken into a nearby forest by the assailants.
In response, Edo State Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika has ordered a coordinated rescue effort across the Ore–Benin axis and adjoining forest areas. Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit have been deployed from the state headquarters, while police tactical teams are working alongside local hunters and vigilante groups to comb the forests for the missing victims.
The command has assured the public that it will not relent until the kidnapped passengers are safely rescued and the perpetrators brought to justice. It also urged citizens to provide credible information to aid ongoing operations.
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