A wounded driver describes how gunmen shot out his bus's tyres, opened fire, and abducted 14 passengers along the Benue-Kogi road, in an attack that has renewed security concerns on the route.
Benue State — August 15, 2026
The driver of an 18-seater commercial bus attacked along the Benue-Kogi road has given a harrowing account of how gunmen opened fire on his vehicle, shot out its tyres, and abducted 14 passengers travelling from Enugu to Abuja — an incident that matches the mass kidnapping the Benue Police Command confirmed a day earlier along the same Ankpechi–Omutele axis.
The driver, now receiving treatment in hospital for gunshot wounds to his left leg and abdomen, said the attack unfolded on Thursday as he drove through a rough stretch of the road and heard gunfire coming from behind the vehicle. Checking his mirror, he said he spotted several armed men before realising more attackers were positioned ahead, already firing directly at the bus.
According to the driver, the gunmen first shot out one tyre, forcing him to duck below the dashboard as he fought to keep the vehicle from veering off the road, before a second shot to another tyre brought the bus to a complete stop.
He said he didn't immediately realise he had been shot in the leg, only noticing the wound as he tried to flee into nearby bush — collapsing when his injured leg gave out beneath him.
The attackers accused him of trying to escape, and he described lying on the ground pleading with them as he struggled to stand.
He said one of the younger attackers repeatedly struck him with a cutlass and ordered him to open the bus, even as he was too badly wounded to comply fully.
Passengers began climbing out on their own as the assailants smashed windows and ordered everyone to lie down before eventually marching them into the bush in a line.
The driver said one male passenger managed to flee into the bush the moment the tyres were shot, but the rest — including a woman he mentioned specifically — were unable to escape and were taken.
He himself was spared only because his injuries left him unable to walk with the group; after confirming he was the driver, the attackers told him to turn back.
The driver estimated the attackers numbered more than ten and said he believed some were Fulani, based on both their appearance and language, noting that while they spoke Hausa during the assault itself, passengers reported hearing the attackers switch to a different dialect once they moved into the bush.
These identifications are the driver's own account and have not been independently confirmed.
The bus, operated by Sunny Bright Mass Transit, remains abandoned along the roadside where the attack occurred. An interviewer accompanying the driver's account appealed directly to security agencies to intensify the search for the missing passengers, urging that no ransom be paid and expressing confidence that the victims remain close to the abduction site.
The account adds a personal, first-hand dimension to the kidnapping the Benue Police Command confirmed on Friday, which stated that five of the 19 abducted passengers — including a four-year-old boy — had already been rescued, with nine still in captivity as of that update.
It remains unclear whether the driver's tally of 14 taken aligns with the police figure or reflects a partial count from the scene itself.
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