Police begins rescue operations for Lagos-Benin highway kidnap victims

The Edo State Police Command says a coordinated rescue operation is ongoing following the abduction of passengers after gunmen attacked a commercial bus along the Lagos–Benin Express Road in Iguobazuwa axis. In a statement on Tuesday signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Eno Ikoedem, the Command said the incident occurred on April 18, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m. when suspected kidnappers attacked a GUO Transport Company bus with registration number FA 280 YJ. The statement said the attackers opened fire on the vehicle, killing the driver in the process, while five people were on board at the time of the incident. It added that one female passenger who sustained gunshot injuries was rescued by responding officers and taken to a hospital, where she is “receiving treatment and responding positively,” while three other passengers were forcefully taken into a nearby forest. Following the attack, the statement said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, ordered an immediate escalation of rescue efforts across adjoining divisions along the Ore–Benin axis. “The Commissioner of Police has directed all adjoining divisions along the Ore–Benin axis and boundary forests to embark on intensive bush combing operations to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators,” the statement said. It further noted that operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit have been deployed to reinforce the ongoing search, alongside tactical teams working with local hunters and vigilantes to comb the surrounding forests. The statement also confirmed that the driver’s body had been deposited at a hospital mortuary, while the recovered vehicle had been secured as investigations continue. Reassuring the public, the Command said, “The Command remains resolute and will not relent until the victims are safely rescued and the criminals brought to justice,” adding that members of the public should support ongoing operations with “credible and timely information.” Earlier accounts of the incident circulating online described heavy gunfire during the attack, with an eyewitness saying, “the kidnappers shot and killed the driver. They also took passengers into the bush.” The police, however, maintained that rescue operations are ongoing and efforts are being intensified to ensure the safe return of the abducted passengers.