By Dare Akogun

UNKNOWN gunmen have reportedly shot dead two people and abducted several others along Obbo Ayegunle-Osi road in Ekiti local Government Area of Kwara State.

It was gathered that the incident happened on Saturday when the gunmen attacked an 18-seater commercial bus with REG NO XC 167 MUN travelling from Ilorin.

Confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday spokesman of the Kwara State Police Command Okasanmi Ajayi said the gunmen shot at the vehicle and fatally injured the driver simply known as Akeem and one Mama Ariye.

The two victims are residents of Obbo Ayegunle town.

According to the statement, “On receipt of the information in Obbo Ayegunle, policemen, vigilante, local hunters and available members of sister agencies on the ground immediately raced to the scene.

“Bodies of the dead were retrieved and deposited at Carosi Hospital mortuary in Osi for autopsy, while they stormed the bushes in an effort to get the kidnapped victims rescued.”

The statement said the commissioner of police has ordered operatives to go after the gunmen.

“The Commissioner of Police, Cp Tuesday Assayomo, on hearing of the unfortunate incident directed that a massive manhunt for the perpetrators of the heinous crime must commence, gave a marching order to the Area Commander and the Divisional Police Officers covering the area to move into the bushes to ensure that the kidnapped victims were rescued and the kidnappers arrested.

“While empathizing with the families of the deceased, the Commissioner of Police assures that the perpetrators of the crime would be smoked out from wherever they may be hiding.

“Consequently, the CP has directed a 24-hour patrol of the area in conjunction with other sister security agencies to boost the confidence of the people and to also prevent any further attack in the area,” the statement added.