Two Passenger Buses Hijacked in Rivers State, Figure of Rescued Persons Differ

Figures of rescued passengers from an 18-seater bus hijacked at Omerelu-Elele-Owerri road seem to be conflicting, as authorities give different figures.

As you may know, an 18-seater bus conveying passengers from Abuja to Port Harcourt was diverted into a forest within Omerelu-Elele-Owerri road by unknown gunmen on Thursday. Some survivors of this particular incident say they ran into some hoodlums just after a security checkpoint on the road and were taken into the bush where they sighted some other kidnapped victims. According to one of those rescued, the gunmen were kind enough to feed them with ‘fufu’ and soup.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area where the incident occurred, Samuel Nwanosike, told newsmen that fifteen (15) passengers in the 18-seater bus hijacked along Omerelu-Elele-Owerri road have been rescued. He said the passengers included, thirteen (13) adults and two (2) children - about five years old. According to him, the bus was also recovered during a rescue operation carried out by security operatives.

However figures of those rescued given by the Council boss conflicts with what the Rivers State Police Command released to the press. The Police on its part (as reported by some media houses) say it rescued seven (7) passengers from a bus that was hijacked by unknown gunmen along Omerelu-Elele-Owerri road; two (2) escaped from their captors, bringing the number of those out of the kidnappers den to nine (9). Spokesman of the command, Nnamdi Omoni, said it took the combined efforts of its officials and military men to rescue them from a bush in Omerelu. He said some items were recovered during the operation which includes two (2) buses, nine (9) pieces of military uniform and twelve (12) machetes. He added that a search operation has been launched for the remaining six (6) persons, while twenty-three (23) suspects are currently in their custody.

Another report has it that two (2) passengers of one of the buses that was hijacked by unknown gunmen are dead. Their bodies were found following the recovery of the bus by policemen.

A newspaper quoted Mr Omoni as saying, “The Police have rescued the kidnap victims and recovered the bus they were travelling in. However dead bodies of two of the passengers were recovered, six are still with them, but eight of them were rescued alive.” 

So how many have been rescued? Fifteen (15), seven (7), or eight (8)?

Alas, unknown gunmen also struck on Friday, hijacking a passenger bus along Umuapu-Elele, the boundary between Imo and Rivers States. Reports have it that the bus was conveying passengers from Owerri to Port Harcourt when the incident happened. Their whereabouts remain unknown. 

Within the space of two days, two buses have been hijacked, an indication that these routes have become quite notorious for kidnappings and hijacking of vehicles. Once again, we await a comprehensive report and update from the Police on these incidents.