Several travellers were reportedly abducted after armed men suspected to be bandits intercepted two commercial buses along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday morning around the Umunoha axis of the expressway as the buses travelled from Onitsha towards Owerri.
A source familiar with the incident, who requested anonymity, said the attackers took advantage of slow-moving traffic to intercept the vehicles.
The exact number of passengers allegedly taken remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
According to the source, the traffic slowdown was caused by cattle crossing the expressway, giving the attackers an opportunity to target vehicles.
“The buses were coming from Onitsha side of the road; it seems they were returning from Lagos,” the source said.
“Many people were kidnapped. They usually launch attacks when their cattle are crossing the road because they know vehicles will slow down.”
The reported abduction comes amid concerns over kidnapping incidents along the Owerri-Onitsha road in recent weeks.
Some victims of previous attacks on the route have reportedly been released after their families paid ransom.
The source also alleged that a man and his daughter were abducted along the highway about three weeks ago and later released after a ransom of N29 million was reportedly paid.
The claim could not be independently verified.
As of the time of filing this report, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, had not responded to enquiries seeking confirmation of the latest reported abduction.
Authorities had also not provided an official account of the incident or confirmed the number of people allegedly taken.
