The abducted female staff of a private school located in Oba Ile Estate in the Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State has been freed.
It was learnt that the gunmen missed their target as no pupil was inside the bus when they struck. It was reported that they drove the bus to a bush after Ilara Mokin before they asked the abducted bus attendant to start running.
The staff, Ms. Omolayo Ojo, explained how the abductors blocked them and brought out a gun and a battle axe while they dragged the driver out, but took her along as they drove away.
“I saw one brought out gun and the other brought out battle axe. The driver was dragged out they pressed my face down so I didn’t know the route they took.
“When they got to the bush, they brought me down, asked about my name and asked me to cooperate.
“They later told me to run without looking back. I met an old woman who showed me the way to a road.
“An Okada rider gave me N500 and showed me the way to town from where I took a transport to Akure.”
Principal of the school, Mrs. Akinde Bolatito, who said the driver has narrated how the bus was hijacked at the police station said: “Omolayo has been working with us for over two years. She said they drove her into the bush. She was not tampered with. No hurt on her body.
“There was no pupil inside the bus. It was an empty bus. This has been their normal runs. We have never had any issue with our bus or our staff.
“Our children are in good hands. The police are on it.”
The bus driver and the abducted staff of the school were on their way to pick pupils around 6:45am when the incident happened.
The bandits said to be about eight in numbers on motorcycles forced the driver to stop while they attack the bus and drove it to an unknown destination with the staff on the bus, according to an eyewitness.
