By John Ugo
Anxiety heightened on Sunday as 32 burial guests have been reported kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Ondo state.
It was learnt that the victims in a coastal bus were returning from Benin City, Edo State on Saturday evening, to Akure, Ondo state after attending a burial ceremony when the incident happened.
Eye witness said that the burial guests were suddenly stopped by the hoodlums along Benin-Ifon road.
The victims were said to be travelling with others in two other vehicles when their coastal bus was stopped.
It gathered that the drivers of the other vehicles stopped when the occupants in the two vehicles jumped out and fled into the bush.
The kidnappers were said to have marched the victims out of the vehicles and commandeered all the occupants including the driver of the vehicle to an unknown destination in a nearby forest.
It was further learnt that some of the occupants escaped while being taken to the kidnappers’ den.
The source disclosed many of the victims are still with the kidnappers.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ondo state police command, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident in the official Twitter handle of the Ondo State Command.
Odunlami who said that 11 people were abducted added that a combined team of the Police and Army is carrying out a rescue operation in the area.
“Yesterday evening, the Police received an information that a Coastal Bus was attacked at Omi – Alafa area, along Owo/ Ifon rd and 11 people were suspected to have been abducted. The Police and the Army moved to the scene , combed the area for possible rescue of victims
“One of the rescued victim is helping the Police with necessary information, men of the Anti kidnapping Squad and other tactical teams are in the area to rescue other victims unhurt and arrest the assailants.” The tweet read
