A commercial driver with 18 passengers on board his vehicle, narrowly escaped being kidnapped after they were accousted by armed men along the Abonema-Degema-Emuoha Road in Rivers State.
It was gathered that the gunmen had wanted to hijack the fully loaded bus travelling from Abali Park in Port Harcourt to Abonema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state.
The driver, identified as Godwin Deewii, who narrated his experience to a Radio station in Port Harcourt, said the gunmen had emerged from a nearby bush and tried to stop him.
According to him, he accelerated past the suspects, who started shooting in his direction, trying to stop the bus.
“Their target was to kill me and destabilise my movement so that they can get the bus and my passengers. But God gave me wisdom, I was able to jump through the gallop and save everybody,” he explained.
He noted that he managed to escape with all the occupants of the vehicle through a bad spot at a popular junction called Israel-Ama.
Godwin, who said he sustained gunshot injuries, expressed dismay that none of the passengers showed concern when they got to safety.
He noted that all the passengers had dispersed to their various destinations after “telling him sorry,” adding that the drivers’ union had taken him to where he received treatment.
The driver further called on the State Police Command to extend the checkpoints along the Abonema-Degema-Emuoha routes to the bad spots on the road to prevent repeated attacks by the gunmen.
He said, “The police are fully aware, but they don’t stand in the more dangerous areas at night. They can stand close to that place during the day time.
“But in the night hours we need them because that road is lonely. They don’t usually stand there.
“They (operatives) will pack themselves to one side. As soon as you drive past them, the distance between that place and Kalabari is still far. Because of the gallop, vehicles cannot speed.
“Our Kalabari people don’t seem to see the importance of doing this road. But this is the only access road to three local governments. And time and again, we have been suffering from kidnapping and armed robbery.”
Meanwhile, the incident was reported at the Abonema Police Station.
The spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said there had been reduced attacks on the route, adding that the Police commissioner recently deployed a tactical team to the area.
