ABC Transport has confirmed that it’s driver and two passengers on board one of its luxurious vehicles headed for Abuja en route Enugu were indeed held hostage by unknown gun men.

Following the video circulated on the social media about the attack on the company’s vehicle, it issued a press statement on Monday confirming not only the attack but assuring that measures were currently being taken in collaboration with security agencies to rescue them.

The statement reads, “What did occur was that at about 1:30pm on Saturday 3rd, February 2024 at a Village called Ayele Adumu, in Olamaboro LGA of Kogi State, Unknown persons blocked and attacked oncoming vehicles and amongst which was an ABC Sienna en-route Enugu to Abuja with two Passengers.

“The two passengers and the bus driver were led into the bush alongside other passengers of other vehicles and have since been held hostage.

“ABC Transport is actively cooperating with relevant security agencies to resolve the matter as swiftly as possible.

“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew, and we are taking all necessary measures to ensure a prompt and thorough resolution to the issue at hand.

“We understand the concerns raised by the public due to the reports in circulation, and we urge everyone to rely on official statements from ABC Transport for accurate and up-to-date information.

“Our team is working tirelessly to provide updates as the situation unfolds.

“We appreciate the cooperation of our passengers, stakeholders, and the public in allowing us the time and space to address this matter responsibly.

“We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and security for our valued passengers and staff.”

Kidnappers attacked two Abuja-bound buses in the Inele-Eteke Ogugu, New Road area of Kogi East district.

The incident involved a GIG and ABC Transport buses heading to Abuja from the eastern part of the country.

The GIG bus left Umuahia in Abia State at 7:30 am on Saturday on its way to Abuja, the nation’s seat of power. In the wake of the abduction, GIG contacted security services to track down the abductors.

Also, the Kogi State Police Command has confirmed the incident.

The command’s spokesman William Ayah in a Monday statement said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area, local vigilantes, and hunters have been in the bush in an effort to rescue the victims.

He said the incident involved the GIG bus with 12 passengers and a Sienna bus belonging to ABC Transport with two occupants. But the driver of GIG Motors was later rescued by security operatives, the spokesman added.

According to him, Kogi State Commissioner of Police CP Bethrand Onuoha has deployed an additional Tactical Squad consisting of a Quick Response Unit, Police Mobile Force, Counter-Terrorism Unit, and conventional police personnel to the area to continue with the bush combing to ensure all victims are rescued unhurt.

This abduction is the latest in the kidnapping incidents that have continued to gain momentum in several parts of the country despite efforts by security agencies and assurances from governments across different levels.

In recent weeks, kidnappers abducted schoolchildren and their teachers in Ekiti State in the country’s South-West region. But they were freed later. Two monarchs were also murdered in the state during the period.

Last weekend, abductors took away 55 persons in the North-Western state of Katsina. They were kidnapped while escorting a bride along Damari town in Sabuwa Local Government Area of the state.

Worried by the spate of insecurity in the country, a security consultant has called on governments to be ruthless in dealing with perpetrators of crime, especially bandits.

“From my profiling of banditry, they see dialogue as a sign of weakness…they don’t see the magnanimity of a governor as anything,” Captain Umar Aliyu (Rtd) said on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily. “They see it as a profound weakness. You have to speak to them in the languages they understand.”