Tension as gunmen kill driver, abduct passengers along Benin-Lagos Expressway

Fear and panic have taken hold among travelers after an assault by suspected kidnappers on the Benin-Lagos Expressway.

In a reported case, the event took place at the Benin-Ore junction, where a passenger bus from GUO Transport was stopped by bandits who killed the driver and kidnapped an unknown number of people.

In one of the video clips available online, the speaker looked at the location of the attack, expressing his surprise that there seemed to be security personnel around.

“You see where that trailer dey so, nah there the kidnapping is happening. And they say soldiers dey there. See them dem dey cross (The kidnapping is happening right there where that truck is parked, and they say soldiers are there. Look, they are crossing over),” the narrator said.

An X user, identified as @Somtolism7, said the gunmen attacked a bus operated by GUO Transport in what he described as a “Monday morning horror scene.”

“Tragedy struck on the Benin–Ore expressway as violent kidnappers ambushed a GUO bus heading to the East,” he wrote.

“In a ruthless attack, the driver was shot dead on the spot, leaving the bus helpless. The terrified passengers were then forcefully taken away into the unknown.”

Another platform, The Benin Blogger, also reported that kidnappers killed the driver and abducted passengers on the highway.

In one of the videos posted by the blogger, the main door of the GUO Transport vehicle is left open, with the stationary bus positioned across the road. Several clothes and bags, believed to belong to the abducted passengers, are scattered on the paved roadway.

The incident, though yet to be officially confirmed by authorities, has sparked renewed fears over the persistent vulnerability of commuters on the Benin-Lagos Expressway, a corridor repeatedly linked to kidnappings and armed attacks.

When contacted for a reaction, GUO Transport did not respond to messages sent to its official WhatsApp line. Repeated calls to the company went unanswered, and no response had been received as of the time of filing this report.

Similarly, the Edo State Police Command did not respond to enquiries sent to it for comment.

Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Eno Ikoedem, were also unsuccessful as of press time.