Gunmen reportedly attacked two buses travelling from Lagos to Onitsha in Anambra State and Owerri in Imo State, abducting all the passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway on Thursday morning.
The incident reportedly happened at about 5:30am on October 1, 2026, as Nigerians marked the country’s 66th Independence anniversary.
An eyewitness who recorded a video at the scene said armed men stopped the two buses, robbed the passengers and took them into a nearby bush.
The eyewitness alleged that the attackers were Fulani herdsmen and bandits, although the identities of the assailants had not been independently confirmed.
He said police officers arrived at the scene while soldiers moved into the surrounding bush in an attempt to rescue the abducted passengers.
According to him, other vehicles may also have been attacked, although the exact number of people abducted was not immediately known.
A video recorded at the scene showed one of the affected buses with “Government of Akwa Ibom State” written on its front, while “Uko Akwa Ibom Motors Nig. Ltd” was displayed on its sides.
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The Anambra State Police Command was contacted for clarification. Its spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, requested the video of the incident and later said the location was not within Anambra State.
The Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Okoye Henry, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing the report.
The Owerri-Onitsha Road has recorded previous kidnapping incidents involving travellers. In March 2025, police in Anambra said three kidnapped victims were rescued along the Onitsha-Owerri Expressway in Ozubulu during a joint security operation.
In May 2025, several passengers, including travellers aboard an Akwa Ibom transport company bus, were also reportedly abducted along the Aba-Owerri Road in Imo State.
The latest incident comes amid continued security concerns over kidnapping and attacks on major highways in the South-East and other parts of Nigeria.
In August 2026, the Kogi State Police Command reported that passengers travelling in two buses were abducted along the Aloma-Egane Expressway. Eleven victims were later rescued during a joint security operation.
As of the time of filing the report, the exact number of passengers abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road and their whereabouts remained unknown.
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