Gunmen abduct nine travellers in Edo

In Oben, a border town between the states of Edo and Delta, nine tourists have reportedly been abducted by suspected gunmen.

On Friday evening, the incident along Jesse-Oben Road left the neighborhood in a state of panic.

According to Mr. Obehe Adika, a hunter who claimed to have witnessed the incident, gunshots and tyre screeching noises could be heard coming from the bush where he was hunting at around 9 o’clock.

He further claimed to have witnessed a Toyota Hiace bus carrying passengers traveling to Delta State being attacked and kidnapped by gunmen in a Hilux van loaded with them.

“They were dragging the people, I saw (the gunmen). The armed men numbered five or six in total. In their van, they escorted the nine passengers.

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“The driver was included as well. All of them were taken. I was the one who alerted the community head and organized youths to start a search, but they haven’t been located yet,” he continued.

It was claimed that one of the victims was a 24-year-old, as-yet-unidentified daughter of a newspaper vendor.

A N10 million ransom was reportedly demanded by the kidnappers in a phone call to the distraught vendor who has not been named.

The vendor has therefore asked the governors of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, and his counterpart in Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, for assistance because he will not be able to raise the required amount.

The area where the incident occurred was under the control of the Edo State Police Command, according to Edafe Bright, the public relations officer for the Delta State Police, who was contacted on Saturday.

But the PPRO for Edo State, Chidi Nwabuzor, claimed that the incident was under investigation and that the passengers would soon be saved and the offenders would be caught.