•Passenger with gunshot injury in hospital
Kidnappers suspected to be Fulanis struck on Friday, January 7, 2021, killing a commercial driver, while a passenger was shot in the leg and five others including a female, were abducted.
The incident occurred at Onigaari community on Lagos-Ibadan highway at about 6pm. The community falls under Oyo State.
Thenewsbearer learnt that the passengers boarded eight-seater Toyota Sienna bus with registration number MUS 493 HH in Ibadan on a journey to Lagos State when the armed kidnappers emerged from the bush at a point and started shooting sporadically.
The driver, identified as Oluwatosin Aruwajoye, who tried to maneuver his way out, was said to have been pumped with bullets, dying instantly.
A passenger, Ibrahim Tiamiyu, got caught in the shooting spree as bullets penetrated his left leg, while five passengers were taken into the bush towards unknown destination.
A passenger was said to have escaped by the whiskers.
It was gathered that operatives from Toll Gate Division and Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Oyo State Police Command went to the scene immediately they were informed by the brother of the injured victim.
He was said to have been rushed to a hospital for medical attention while the corpse of the driver was taken to a mortuary.
The operatives also went into the forest to search for the kidnapped victims with the aim of rescuing them and arresting the armed men.
It was also reliably gathered that the family of the deceased driver approached the police to demand for the body for burial.
Meanwhile, sensing that the police operatives were after them, the kidnappers were said to have called a relation of the female victim, demanding for N30 million as ransom.
The incident, described as unfortunate, was confirmed by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Adewale Osifeso.
Osifeso said that an update would be made available in due course.
