Gunmen Attack Bus on Lokoja-Okene Highway, Passengers Abducted

Gunmen suspected to be armed bandits have attacked a commercial passenger bus along the Lokoja-Okene highway, abducting an unspecified number of passengers and leaving several others injured.

Also Read: Lokoja-Abuja Road: Why Accidents Are Constant Here

The attack reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday near the Gegu axis, a stretch of the highway that has repeatedly witnessed violent incidents involving road users.

According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants emerged from nearby bushes and opened fire sporadically, forcing the bus to a halt. The attackers then marched some passengers into the forest while abandoning others at the scene.

A driver who narrowly escaped the attack told RoadKing.ng that the bus was travelling from Abuja to Benin City when it was intercepted.

“They blocked the road suddenly. People started screaming. They took some passengers and warned the rest of us not to look back,” the driver said.

At least three passengers sustained gunshot wounds, while several others suffered injuries attempting to flee the scene. Victims were later taken to a nearby hospital in Lokoja for treatment.

Security operatives arrived at the scene several hours after the incident, while traffic movement was temporarily disrupted as stranded motorists waited for clearance.

As of the time of filing this report, no official figure has been released regarding the number of passengers abducted.

The Lokoja–Okene corridor has become one of Nigeria’s most dangerous highways due to a combination of poor road conditions and rising insecurity.

RoadKing.ng reports that the same axis has recorded:

• Multiple kidnapping incidents in the past year
• Frequent armed robberies targeting night travellers
• Fatal crashes caused by deep potholes and failed road shoulders

Many transport operators have reportedly reduced night operations on the route, while private motorists now avoid the road after dusk.

When contacted, a spokesperson for the Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that a search-and-rescue operation had been launched.

“Tactical teams have been deployed to the area, and efforts are ongoing to rescue the abducted passengers,” the police spokesperson said.

However, residents and frequent road users have expressed concern over the slow security response and the recurring nature of attacks on the highway.

Commuters and transport unions are once again calling on the Federal Government to:

• Increase armed patrols on the highway
• Fix the deteriorated sections of the road
• Install surveillance and emergency response units

For many Nigerians, the fear remains the same: travel by road now carries the risk of never returning home.