No fewer than eight passengers have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen on a Rivers State road after killing their driver, Salvation Harry.
The victims were said to be traveling on Saturday night when they were reportedly intercepted by the dare devils around Abonema/Degema/EmuohaEmuoha/Kalabari along the East-West Road of Rivers State.
According to an unidentified victim, who escaped narrowly, the driver of a commercial bus left with the passengers from Mile One Park in the Diobu area of Port Harcourt and was travelling to Buguma before the incident.
He said the gunmen ambushed their vehicle at a spot, where the road was bad.
He said the driver was shot as he attempted to drive and speed away to safety with the passengers.
He added that immediately the vehicle was forced to a halt, all passengers were marched into the forest but said some later escaped.
Meanwhile, a driver plying the route and who pleaded annoymity, said kidnappings on the road were regular and frequent.
He told journalists that “we have protested on Kalabari-Emuoha-Buguma road because of the series of kidnap incidents and the shooting of our drivers and passengers.
“Even the Commissioner of Police sent a representative. After then, there has been an increase in kidnapping attempts and incidents.
“But yesterday (Saturday), the worst of it happened. They (miscreants) killed one of our drivers by name Salvation Harry, who is from Buguma. As I am talking to you now, he is in the Buguma mortuary. And the occupants of the vehicle are in the bush with the kidnappers.
“We don’t really know what to do because we have lost confidence in the government. They cannot protect lives and property again.
“Maybe because we are not violent and cannot resort to carrying arms to protect ourselves on that road. We are tired.”
Also, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, who confirmed the incident, said the police men ahve been deployed to the area to rescue the victims and toas to apprehend their abductors.
She said: “Yes we are aware of it and we have launched an investigation into the incident, and a manhunt to ensure the kidnappers are apprehended.”