In a chilling resurgence of violence along Nigeria’s notorious Benin-Ore expressway, gunmen suspected to be herdsmen on Wednesday ambushed a bus ferrying students to an Easter Convention, abducting 10 and shooting two others in a brazen daylight attack that has left families shattered and a nation in shock.
The victims, comprising students from Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, were en route to Babcock University, Remo, Ogun State, to attend the annual National Convention of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Campus Fellowship (NAAS). Their spiritual journey took a horrifying turn when their bus was intercepted by armed men who unleashed gunfire on the vehicle, plunging the students into chaos.
A survivor who spoke with SaharaReporters described the attack as a “traumatic nightmare,” accusing security agencies of gross negligence in failing to secure one of the most dangerous highways in the country.
“These students are not just numbers — they’re my Fellowship members, my friends, my relatives,” the source lamented. “Many of them are still missing, some are injured, and one is clinging to life after undergoing emergency surgery to extract a bullet from his back.”
Eyewitnesses revealed that the armed assailants riddled the vehicle with bullets, forcing the students to scatter into the surrounding forest. While some managed to escape, 10 students were reportedly taken hostage. The gunmen have since contacted the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of ₦15 million for their release.
Disturbing images obtained by SaharaReporters show medical personnel battling to save the life of one of the shot students, who remains in critical condition.
“They removed the bullet last night, but his condition is still grave,” a source close to the victim revealed. “Just a few weeks ago, I saw people gunned down by these same criminal elements near the Federal Secretariat bus stop. This country is bleeding.”
As families frantically search for answers, suspicion has also been cast on the bus driver, who reportedly escaped unscathed under questionable circumstances. “How did he manage to avoid harm while the students were shot and abducted?” a source queried. “Something doesn’t add up.”
The Benin-Ore highway has gained infamy over the years as a corridor of death, where bandits, kidnappers, and armed robbers strike with impunity. Despite repeated public outcry, the route remains largely unsecured, turning every journey into a gamble with life.
Efforts to obtain official comments from the Ondo State Police Command were unsuccessful. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Odunlami Ibukun, ignored multiple calls and failed to respond to follow-up messages.
As night falls, hope fades for those still lost in the Ore forests — hungry, terrified, and at the mercy of armed predators. The fate of the abducted students now lies in the hands of their captors, while Nigerians are left to grapple with yet another horror story in a nation where insecurity is becoming tragically routine.
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