Families of the 13 kidnapped passengers in Edo State can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the victims were successfully rescued by the police.
The daring rescue operation was confirmed by the State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, following the harrowing incident on Saturday afternoon along the bustling Benin-Ore Expressway near Ekhiadolor.
The ordeal began when armed bandits ambushed a bus, shooting the driver and leaving him critically injured by the roadside before forcing the passengers into the surrounding bush.
The driver, who was later rushed to a hospital in Benin, is reportedly responding well to treatment. Social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), captured the chaotic aftermath in a video when his vehicle arrived at the scene.
The footage showed the wounded driver lying in a pool of blood before being carefully lifted into the trunk of a Hilux and transported for medical care.
Commissioner Agbonika revealed that the rescue operation was launched immediately after the attack, deploying special tactical squads, drones, and advanced surveillance equipment to comb through the dense bushes. Giving an update yesterday, he shared the good news:
“We have rescued all the victims. Every single one of them is safe. Since the day of the incident, we have been operating nonstop, using drones and other gadgets to aid the search.”_
While the victims are now safe, the police have intensified efforts to track down the kidnappers behind the violent attack.
The operation highlights the commitment of law enforcement to tackle insecurity in the region and restore confidence among residents and travelers along this critical route.