TheCable

At least 13 passengers have been abducted by gunmen in Kogi state.

The passengers, who were said to have been travelling from the south-east to Abuja, were kidnapped in Inyele Eteke, Olalamaboro LGA, on Saturday.

The gunmen reportedly hijacked the vehicles before abducting the occupants.

William Aya, police spokesperson in Kogi, confirmed the development to TheCable on Monday night.

Aya said the incident involved a GIGM bus carrying 12 passengers and a vehicle owned by ABC Transport with two occupants.

The police spokesperson said the driver of the GIGM bus has been rescued by security operatives.

“Efforts are on to ensure that others are rescued,” he said.

There has been an uptick in kidnapping for ransom, and killings orchestrated by gunmen across Nigeria, in recent times.

Last week, gunmen abducted schoolchildren from their school bus in Ekiti.

They were rescued on Sunday morning after spending six days in captivity.

Gunmen also killed traditional rulers in Ekiti and Kwara states in the last fortnight.

Bandits have also been raiding and abducting residents of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, in recent times.

Authorities and security agencies have been struggling to contain the surge in attacks and abductions by bandits in border towns of Abuja.