Escalating Mayhem on Owerri–Aba Road: 14 Passengers Kidnapped as Gunmen Later Open Fire on Abia Governor Otti’s Advance Team – All in 24 Hou...
Escalating Mayhem on Owerri–Aba Road: 14 Passengers Kidnapped as Gunmen Later Open Fire on Abia Governor Otti’s Advance Team – All in 24 Hours
What began as a horrifying Thursday morning mass abduction on the ever-dangerous Owerri–Aba expressway spiraled into an even deadlier confrontation barely 24 hours later when the same stretch of road witnessed gunmen opening fire on the advance security team of Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.
The twin incidents, occurring within Ngor-Okpala and Obowo Local Government Areas of Imo State (both bordering Abia), have sent shockwaves across the South-East and exposed the near-total collapse of security along one of Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors.
Around 7:30 a.m. on December 2, gunmen emerged from thick bushes along the Ihitte-Okwe axis in Ngor-Okpala LGA and ambushed a fully loaded commercial hummer bus traveling from Owerri to Aba. Eyewitnesses say the attackers fired sporadically into the air, forced the driver to stop, ordered all 14 passengers (including women and children) out of the vehicle, and marched them into the forest.
The abandoned bus was later discovered with doors flung open, handbags, shoes, and phones scattered on the road. Viral videos from the scene showed frightened motorists making U-turns while others filmed the empty vehicle from a safe distance.
Imo State Police spokesman, DSP Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident, stating that joint tactical teams have been deployed for bush-combing and rescue operations. As at 9 p.m. Thursday, no victim had been released and no ransom demand had been officially received.
Residents say this is the third mass abduction on the same road in two weeks, with over 40 persons now in captivity from attacks along the Owerri–Aba–Port Harcourt corridor since mid-November.
In what appears to be a brazen escalation, gunmen struck again less than 24 hours later – this time targeting a marked security convoy.
According to multiple sources and a SaharaReporters exclusive, the advance team of Abia State Governor Alex Otti was conducting routine reconnaissance ahead of the governor’s scheduled movement when it ran into an ambush around the Umueze community axis (still within Imo territory but barely 15 km from the earlier kidnapping spot).
The attackers reportedly opened heavy fire on the convoy, riddling at least one vehicle with bullets. Security operatives attached to the team returned fire, forcing the gunmen to retreat into the bush. No fatality was recorded on the governor’s side, but the intensity of the exchange has sparked fears that the criminals now feel bold enough to target even high-profile state convoys.
Governor Otti, who was not in the advance team, immediately cancelled the trip and returned to Umuahia. Neither the Abia nor Imo State government has issued an official statement as at the time of filing this report.
The Owerri–Aba federal highway, once a 45-minute drive, has become a dreaded gauntlet. Motorists now leave Owerri as early as 5 a.m. or wait until late evening in the hope of evading the gunmen who operate with near impunity between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Local sources claim the kidnappers operate from camps inside the forests straddling Imo, Abia and Rivers States, using the thick vegetation around Ngor-Okpala, Obowo and parts of Ukwa West as hideouts. Some residents openly accuse “Fulani herdsmen” and “repentant Boko Haram elements,” while others insist the gangs are mixed and purely criminal.
“We are now prisoners in our own state,” lamented Chidi Anyanwu, a trader in Owerri. “You either pay ransom or you don’t travel. Simple.”
For now, commercial drivers have suspended night trips, while many families are keeping children home from boarding schools in Aba and Port Harcourt until further notice.
As frantic efforts continue to locate the 14 kidnapped passengers and identify those who fired at Governor Otti’s team, one thing is clear: the South-East’s most economically vital highway is bleeding, and the clock is ticking for both state and federal authorities to act decisively.This is a developing story.
We will bring you updates as more details emerge.
No comments
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.