Panic gripped motorists on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Saturday evening as gunmen ambushed vehicles and abducted an unspecified number of passengers near a police checkpoint.
Eyewitnesses said the attack occurred around the New Spare Parts area along Owa Express, a few metres from the MOPU Junction, between 6pm and 6.30pm, during peak traffic hours.
A commuter who narrowly escaped the ambush told Platform Times that the assailants suddenly blocked the road, forcing vehicles to a halt before dragging passengers into nearby bushes.
“The kidnappers struck close to the police checkpoint. People abandoned their vehicles and ran for safety. It was chaotic,” the source said.
The affected axis is a major commercial route linking Onitsha, Anambra State, with Enugu, and has remained a flashpoint for criminal attacks despite the presence of multiple security checkpoints.
Residents and frequent travellers expressed frustration over what they described as the inability of security agencies to secure the corridor, noting that the incident occurred despite recent government assurances, including the deployment of surveillance drones to combat highway crimes.
“This happened early in the evening on a major road. It shows that nowhere is safe anymore,” another commuter lamented on social media.
The latest attack comes amid a resurgence of kidnappings along the expressway in recent months, with travellers now calling on the state government and police authorities to intensify patrols, especially around the Owa Express and MOPU Junction axis.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer in Enugu State, SP Daniel Ndukwe, were unsuccessful as calls to his phone were not answered at the time of filing this report.
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