Bandits abduct travellers on Owerri-Onitsha Expressway

Several travellers have reportedly been abducted after suspected bandits intercepted two commercial buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday morning around the Umunoha axis of the highway, where the attackers were said to have taken advantage of slow-moving traffic to ambush the vehicles travelling from Onitsha towards Owerri.

A source familiar with the incident, who requested anonymity, said the exact number of passengers abducted was yet to be established.

“The buses were coming from Onitsha side of the road; it seems they were returning from Lagos.

“Many people were kidnapped. They usually launch attacks when their cattle are crossing the road because they know vehicles will slow down,” the source said.

The latest incident adds to concerns over reported kidnappings along the busy highway in recent weeks, with some victims allegedly released after ransom payments.

The source also claimed that a man and his daughter were kidnapped along the road about three weeks ago and were later released after N29 million was allegedly paid as ransom.

However, the reported abduction and ransom payment could not be independently verified.

Efforts to obtain confirmation from the Imo State Police Command were unsuccessful as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, had not responded to enquiries as of the time of filing this report.