According to the police, the incident occurred on May 9, 2026, at Ogua Community when armed kidnappers attacked a bus belonging to Young Shall Grow Motors, conveying 13 passengers from Akwa Ibom State to Lagos.
The Edo State Police Command has announced the rescue of all passengers abducted during a kidnapping attack on a commercial bus along the Benin–Lagos Road earlier this month.
According to the police, the incident occurred on May 9, 2026, at Ogua Community when armed kidnappers attacked a bus belonging to Young Shall Grow Motors, conveying 13 passengers from Akwa Ibom State to Lagos.
The attackers were said to have opened fire during the operation, injuring a female passenger before whisking away several victims into the bush.
According to a statement issued on Saturday, May 23, by the Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Eno Ikioedem, security operatives immediately launched coordinated rescue and bush-combing operations following the attack.
Ikioedem said the initial operation led to the rescue of five passengers, comprising two adults and three children, while efforts continued to track down the kidnappers and secure the release of the remaining victims.
On May 10, Ikioedem said operatives of the command, supported by drones, aerial surveillance, and intelligence-driven policing, engaged the kidnappers in a gun duel during a sustained rescue mission.
According to the command, two additional passengers were rescued during the operation.
The police further said that the remaining six abducted passengers have now been rescued unhurt, bringing the total number of rescued victims to 13.
The Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Monday Agbonika, commended officers involved in the operation for their “courage and resilience.”
He also assured residents that the command would sustain intensive bush-combing operations aimed at arresting those responsible for the attack.
Ikioedem stated that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the kidnappers and strengthen security along the Benin–Lagos corridor, which has witnessed repeated incidents of abduction and violent attacks in recent years.
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