Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
No fewer than 92 travellers, mostly from Nigeria's South-East and South-South regions, were abducted in a coordinated wave of attacks along major highways in Kogi, Benue and Ondo states within two days, raising urgent questions about the capacity of security agencies to protect citizens on some of the country's busiest routes. While 30 of the victims were either rescued or escaped from their captors, 62 remained unaccounted for as of Sunday, August 16, 2026, according to a report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety). The attacks, which occurred between Sunday, August 9, and Thursday, August 13, 2026, have exposed a growing vulnerability on roads connecting the South-East with Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country.
The first wave of violence struck on Sunday, August 9, when at least 60 Eastern travellers were abducted in multiple incidents across Kogi and Benue states. One of the attacks occurred along the Auchi-Okene Federal Expressway in Kogi State, where a Sharon 14-seater bus, registration number Kogi ERE 138 AE, carrying about 11 passengers from Delta State to Abuja, was ambushed. Seven passengers were abducted while four escaped. In a separate incident on the same highway, a Toyota Sienna car, registration number BB 362 MKA, carrying nine passengers from Abuja to Delta State, was also attacked, with six passengers abducted.
Later that same day, another attack occurred along the Itobe-Achigili-Anyigba Highway in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State, where approximately 40 Eastern travellers were abducted in an incident involving three vehicles: an 18-seater Hummer bus reportedly belonging to Peace Mass Transit, a 14-seater Toyota Hiace bus and a Toyota Sienna car. InterSociety said the first two attacks on August 9 occurred within about two hours of each other, at approximately 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., suggesting a coordinated operation by criminal networks.
The third major attack occurred on Thursday, August 13, in Ore, Ondo State, where 32 Eastern travellers were abducted from two 18-seater buses travelling to Lagos and Abuja. One of the buses was described as an Eastern-originated white 18-seater vehicle travelling to Lagos, while the other was reportedly operated by Sunny Bright Mass Transit and was carrying passengers from Enugu to Abuja. Five passengers from the latter bus were rescued, while nine others disappeared into the bush.
However, there was some respite. Sixteen of the travellers abducted during the August 9 attack in Kogi were rescued the following day along the Anyigba-Ajaokuta Expressway. The rescued victims included Ngozi Stephen and Joshua Daniel, according to the InterSociety report. The abandoned 18-seater bus involved in the Kogi incident had broken windows and other signs of vandalism, while passengers' luggage was left behind.
InterSociety attributed the attacks to what it described as "Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and their allied Jihadist Fulani Bandits," alleging that the attackers operated from forests and bushes around the affected highways. The organisation listed seven categories of locations it considered particularly vulnerable to abductions, including forests and bushes allegedly occupied by armed groups, farmland settlements, forests around traditional communal sites, non-Igbo forests and farm settlements close to boundary areas, and locations around major military and police formations. It also identified routes connecting Kaduna and Abuja as well as Lagos and Abuja among the areas where South-Eastern travellers were allegedly being targeted.
The organisation expressed concerns over what it described as the growing insecurity facing travellers using major routes linking the South-East with the South-West and North-Central regions. It argued that the incidents demonstrated what it described as the increasing occupation of forests and bushes along major highways by criminal groups. InterSociety called on political leaders from the South-East and reputable socio-cultural associations in Nigeria and the diaspora to urgently address the situation.
The latest allegations come amid persistent concerns over kidnapping and other forms of insecurity along major highways connecting different regions of Nigeria. However, the figures and claims contained in InterSociety's statement could not be independently verified as of the time of filing this report. The organisation's description of the alleged attackers as "Jihadist Fulani" also represents its characterization of the incidents and was not independently established in the statement. What is clear, however, is that the highways of Kogi, Benue and Ondo have become killing fields for unsuspecting travellers, and the 62 still missing are a haunting reminder of a security crisis that shows no sign of abating.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments