Pupils abducted from school bus in Ekiti regain freedom, driver found dead

The kidnapped pupils and a staff member of Apostolic Faith School in Ekiti have regained their freedom.

The school children were said to have been rescued in the wee hours of Sunday.

The pupils, a driver, and a teacher, were abducted on Monday, January 29, from their school bus in Ekiti state.

They were heading to Emure-Ekiti when the assailants intercepted their bus at Eporo-Ekiti.

Abutu Sunday, police spokesperson in Ekiti, who confirmed the development to TheCable, also disclosed that the driver of the bus was found dead.

“In the early hours of today around 1:30 am, the abducted children and their teacher were rescued by the team of police and other security agencies, including the locals,” Sunday said.

“Unfortunately, we lost the driver who is suspected of having been killed by the abductors.”

There has been a spike in kidnapping for ransom, and killings orchestrated by unknown gunmen, across Nigeria in recent times. 

Gunmen have killed traditional rulers in Ekiti and Kwara states in the last fortnight.

Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, has not been spared either, with authorities and law enforcement grappling to contain a spate of abductions by bandits in border communities.