Gunmen hijack vehicle with 10 passengers in Rivers

Memoye Oghu, Port Harcourt

Again, unknown gunmen on Wednesday hijacked a white Toyota Sienna bus along the East/West Road in Rivers State, kidnapping ten passengers and the driver of the vehicle. The Sienna commercial vehicle, our correspondent gathered, was headed for Port Harcourt from Abua Central, headquarters of Abua/Odual Local Government Area of Rivers State but was unfortunately hijacked at the Rumuekpe Junction along the East/West Road in Emohua LGA in the early hours of Wednesday morning. It would be recalled that an interstate transport company bus was hijacked at the same point three weeks ago, killing the driver and kidnapping the passengers. An eyewitness told The Daily Times that the gunmen came from a nearby bush, shot sporadically into the air before abducting the vehicle and all passengers, including the driver into the bush. “Some young men early this morning came out of the bush with guns at Rumuekpe junction, along the East-West road, Emohua LGA and blocked a Toyota Sienna carrying 10 passengers released some gun shots in the air before kidnapping all passengers that were in the vehicle as well as the driver making them 11, into the bush and abandoned the vehicle there,” the eyewitness said. A driver, who ply the East-West road, said the vehicle that conveyed the kidnapped victims is still at the high way. “The white Toyota Sienna which carried the kidnapped persons is still abandoned along the road there. I saw it first around 9am and around 11am when I passed there again. I still saw it. “I know the driver, we call him Star. After we heard about the incident, we have been running around calling his people as well as others who can help. I am praying that God ensure his freedom and that of the passengers too,” he stated. When contacted, the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, said he was yet to be briefed about the incident. He said: “I have not yet gotten that information about this incident, but once I get the details, I will get back to you.”