Two persons were killed and five travellers kidnapped when gunmen took over along the Ifon/Owo Expressway in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State on Friday night.
It was learnt that the kidnappers, who were about 15 and wielding armed AK-47 rifles, stopped the Sienna bus conveying the travellers at about 11 pm at Omi Alafa village in Ifon, Ose LGA and led the victims into the forest.
They killed the driver and a female passenger who sat in the front of the vehicle while, two other passengers were said to have escaped.
An eyewitness said the vehicle was coming from Anambra State with passengers heading towards Akure when the bandits struck.
He said, “It happened around 11 pm, the bus was going towards Akure when the bandits attacked them. They were shooting sporadically and shot the driver and one lady sitting in the front. Some of the passengers escaped, but the bandits took away the unlucky ones.”
The corpses of the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of a hospital in Ifon, the headquarters of the local government.
The Ondo State Police spokesperson, Fumilayo Odunlami, said the command could not ascertain the exact number of escaped victims.
“Our men are fully on the ground, combing the forest to ensure that the kidnapped victims are rescued,” she stated.
