Less than 24 hours after kidnappers abandoned seven passengers abducted along the Osogbo-Ibokun Road, gunmen on Saturday kidnapped two other travellers in Egbu village, along the Ife-Ibadan Expressway, Osun State.

The incident reportedly happened around 7pm.

One of the two persons abducted was said to be the driver of a commercial bus heading for Ilesa from Ibadan, while the second person was said to be a passenger.

A source said the gunmen were unable to take more than two persons because some policemen appeared and engaged them in gunfire, forcing the abductors to escape into the bush with two persons.

Meanwhile, men of the Hunters Guild of Nigeria and the Oodua Peoples Congress were said to have joined the police in the search and rescue operation for the abducted travellers.

The search party, as of Sunday afternoon, was said to have discovered a place used as camp in the bush by the gunmen.

A farmer, who reportedly saw the perpetrators, said about 12 gunmen were involved in the abduction.

A spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, said, “Some armed hoodlums intercepted a Toyota Previa commercial bus plying Ibadan-Akure Expressway by Egbu village, Ikire. A patrol team of the command promptly responded and engaged the hoodlums in a firefight.

“The team rescued the commuters, who were travelling to Ilesa from Ibadan. Meanwhile, a combined reinforcement of vigilantes, local hunters, JTF, and tactical operatives have commenced a search for the bus driver and a passenger reported missing. Three suspects were arrested and they are Musa Nuhu, Basiru Aliu and Sule Sule.”