A commercial bus driver was shot dead and eight passengers abducted after bandits attacked a vehicle at Sabon-Kurutu junction in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The deceased driver was identified as Joshua Atara, who was reportedly conveying commuters along a rural route when the assailants struck.
Residents of the Sabon-Kurutu community said the victims were travelling from Hayin-Dam to Katari when gunmen ambushed the vehicle.
An eyewitness said the attackers suddenly emerged from nearby bush paths, opened fire on the moving vehicle, and forced it to stop.
According to the source, the gunmen appeared to have deliberately targeted the driver at the onset of the assault to immobilise the vehicle before carrying out the abduction.
“They shot directly at the driver to bring the vehicle to a halt,” the eyewitness, who requested anonymity, said. “Once it stopped, they rounded up the passengers and marched them into the forest.”
Local leaders told journalists on Tuesday that security agencies were immediately alerted after the incident.
“We contacted the authorities as soon as we received the information,” a community leader said. “Our concern now is the safe return of those abducted.”
However, security officials have yet to issue a detailed public statement clarifying the circumstances of the attack.
A police source confirmed that an incident involving a commercial vehicle had been reported but declined to provide further details.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, Mansur Hassan, could not be reached at the time of filing this report.
