Gunmen attack travelers in Osun, shoot driver, assault woman
By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo
An eight-member gang of armed robbers attacked travelers along the Ife-Osu highway in Osun State, allegedly assaulting a female passenger during the incident.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Wednesday when two vehicles—a bus and a private car—traveling from Lagos were halted by the armed robbers just before reaching Osu.
Reports indicate that the robbers shot the bus driver, injuring him, and sexually assaulted a female passenger in the private car. They then proceeded to rob the travelers of their valuables, confiscating their ATM cards and forcing them to transfer money into the robbers’ accounts.
A victim of the robbery recounted the harrowing experience: “The attack involved two vehicles—a bus and a private car. Both were coming from Lagos. We had just left Ife and were nearing Osu when the robbers stopped us. There were eight of them, all armed.
“The bus driver was shot but thankfully not killed; he was injured. One of the female passengers in the car was sexually assaulted. They forcefully took our money, collected all our ATM cards, and coerced us into transferring various amounts into their accounts.
“Some of us managed to escape into the bush and alerted security personnel. Shortly after, police, vigilantes, and members of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service arrived to search the area.
“Within minutes, they arrested one of the robbers—a man—but the others fled. They took him away. The bus driver was rushed to a hospital in Ile-Ife, where he is currently receiving treatment. This incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday.”
The Osun Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Emmanuel Giwa-Alade, confirmed the incident, stating that one person has been arrested and an investigation is underway.
