Blood on Lagos–Benin Expressway: Gunmen Kill Driver, Kidnap Passengers as Police Launch Massive Rescue Operation

(GUO Transport Bus Photo by Universal Reporters)

Following the kidnapping of passengers when gunmen assaulted a commercial bus along the Lagos–Benin Express Road in Iguobazuwa axis, the Edo State Police Command reports that a coordinated rescue operation is underway.

Suspected kidnappers attacked a GUO Transport Company bus with registration number FA 280 YJ on April 18, 2026, at approximately 6:00 p.m., according to a statement released by the Command on Tuesday and signed by ASP Eno Ikoedem, the Police Public Relations Officer.

According to the statement, five passengers were inside the car when the attackers opened fire, killing the driver.

It further stated that a female passenger was shot. was rescued by responding officers and taken to a hospital, where she is “receiving treatment and responding positively,” while three other passengers were forcefully taken into a nearby forest.

After the assault, the statement said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, ordered an immediate escalation of rescue efforts across adjoining divisions along the Ore–Benin axis.

“The Commissioner of Police has directed all adjoining divisions along the Ore–Benin axis and boundary forests to embark on intensive bush combing operations to rescue the victims and arrest the perpetrators,” the statement said.

It further noted that operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit have been deployed to reinforce the ongoing search, alongside tactical teams working with local hunters and vigilantes to comb the surrounding forests.

The statement additionally verified that the driver’s body had been deposited at a hospital mortuary, while the recovered vehicle had been secured as investigations continue.

The Command reassured the public, saying, “The Command remains resolute and will not relent until the victims are safely rescued and the criminals brought to justice,” adding that members of the public should support ongoing operations with “credible and timely information.”

Earlier accounts of the incident circulating online described heavy gunfire during the attack, with an eyewitness saying, “the kidnappers shot and killed the driver. They also took passengers into the bush.”

However, the police insisted that rescue operations are ongoing and efforts are being intensified to ensure the safe return of the abducted passengers.