KEY POINTS

• Suspected bandits attacked an 18-seater bus on the Kabba–Okene Highway in Kogi State and abducted all passengers.
• Witnesses said the attackers forced the victims into a nearby bush and abandoned the vehicle at the scene.
• The incident has intensified concerns over growing insecurity on major highways, following the recent killing of a police officer on the Lokoja-Abuja Expressway.

Suspected bandits have abducted all passengers aboard an 18-seater commercial bus after attacking the vehicle along the Kabba–Okene Highway in Kogi State.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, shortly after the bus passed the area around Kogi State University in Kabba. According to reports, the white commercial bus was intercepted by heavily armed attackers who forced the vehicle to stop before taking all the occupants away to an unknown location.

Eyewitness accounts indicated that the gunmen marched the passengers into a nearby forest and fled the scene, leaving the bus abandoned on the highway.

A local news platform, Egbe Makun Parrot, reported that the attack took place on a stretch of road that has become increasingly notorious for insecurity and criminal activities.

As of the time of filing the report, the abandoned vehicle was still said to be at the scene, while the whereabouts and condition of the passengers remained unknown.

Growing Concerns Over Highway Insecurity

The latest abduction has heightened fears among residents and travellers who regularly use the Kabba–Okene Road. Many commuters have expressed concerns over the increasing frequency of attacks on major highways and have urged security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the route and ensure the safe rescue of the victims.

The incident adds to a growing list of security challenges facing highways in Kogi State and other parts of the country.

The attack comes amid another security incident recently reported along the Lokoja-Abuja Expressway.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sunday Idakwo, who was attached to the Safer Highway Patrol of the Federal Capital Territory Command, was reportedly shot dead by suspected armed robbers while carrying out his official duties.

According to security sources, the officer was attacked while on patrol along the highway. Details surrounding the incident were still unclear at the time of reporting.

The two incidents have further raised concerns over the safety of travellers on major roads linking the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of Nigeria. Residents and stakeholders have called on security agencies to strengthen surveillance, increase patrol operations and take decisive measures to curb the rising wave of kidnappings and violent attacks on highways.