Eighteen passengers travelling along the Benin-Auchi Highway in Edo State were on Friday abducted by gunmen. The victims, who were reportedly heading to Abuja in a newly introduced Edo Line vehicle, were forced into the bush before security operatives arrived at the scene.
A video from the incident, which has since gone viral, showed a long stretch of vehicles parked on both sides of the highway as motorists fled the area.
At the time of the attack, the abductors had not made any contact with the families of the victims or demanded ransom.
Confirming the incident on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Edo State Command, SP Moses Iyamu, said 16 of the 18 abducted passengers had been rescued.
Iyamu noted that security operatives had intensified search-and-rescue operations in collaboration with local vigilantes and hunters to secure the release of the remaining two victims still held by the kidnappers.