Several killed as masked men open fire on passenger bus

Suspected kidnappers have opened fire on an Abuja- bound passenger bus around Kotin-Karfe, Kogi State, killing an unspecified number of the occupants while others escaped with bullet wounds.

The suspected kidnappers, on Tuesday, laid seige on Abuja bound vehicles, killing all the occupants of the Sharon bus, said to be coming from Port-Harcourt.

Occupants of another car, a Toyota Camry, coming from Ibadan to Abuja, that made for escape after running into the scene sustained various degrees of injuries.

A survivor, who narrated his ordeals, told NATION correspondent that the incidental occurred at about 5.58 pm.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, the victim said that he, along with four others in the Toyota Camry, were headed to Abuja from Ibadan, when they suddenly they sighted some masked men in military gears about two kilometers ahead.

He said that the attackers wore military camouflage with black mask and were stopping vehicles.

According to him, some of the occupants of the vehicles that they stopped were being marched into the bush.

He said that the Sharon bus coming from Port-Harcourt, on sighting them, tried to escape but got shot at, deflating its tires, adding that the vehicle somersaulted, killing all the occupants.

According to him: “It was at this point we noticed that they may be kidnappers. Our driver then engaged reverse gear and they started firing at our car.

“The driver was hit on the shoulder with the bullet coming out at the other side, and it hit the man at the back seat on the head.”

He said that they drove to the Gegu police station from where arrangement was made for their evacuation to the Koton-Karfe General Hospital from where they were taken to the Federal Medical Center Lokoja.

He said the driver was transferred to the National Hospital Abuja while an occupant of the back seat that sustained bullet wounds on the head was referred to the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, to remove bullets lodged in his head.

According to the Police Extract diary obtained by our correspondent, the incident was reported on Wednesday by one of the victims.

Kogi Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr. Hakeem Busari, confirmed the incident.

He said that he got a report that a car stopped by kidnappers dressed in camouflage was shot at, which made it to summersault, killing all the occupants, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) from Edo State.

He said that investigation into the incident has been opened.