Gunmen Kill Driver, Abduct Passengers on Benin-Lagos Highway

BENIN CITY, Edo State – Suspected gunmen struck two commercial vehicles on the Benin-Lagos Expressway on Monday, killing the driver of one and abducting an unspecified number of passengers in a brazen daylight operation.

The assailants blocked the road, opened fire without warning and dragged their victims into the surrounding bushes, according to eyewitness accounts shared on social media platforms.

NaijaChoice News gathered that the attack occurred along the busy corridor, with videos from the scene already circulating online showing a damaged bus and panicked travellers.

Security agencies are yet to issue any official statement or confirm details, including the precise location or the total number of people taken.

The Benin-Ore axis of the expressway has recorded several similar incidents in recent years, where criminal gangs ambush buses and cars to kidnap commuters for ransom.

Experts link the persistent attacks to thick forests along the route and the challenges of policing Nigeria’s vast highway network, a major artery linking the South-West to the South-South.

Commuters and transport operators now express growing fear, with many calling for urgent deployment of more security personnel to restore confidence on this critical road.

This fresh wave of violence underscores the broader insecurity plaguing Nigerian highways, where such ambushes continue despite repeated government promises of improved safety.

So sad💔

G¥nmen reportedly k!ll driver and abd¥ct passengers along Benin–Lagos Expressway. pic.twitter.com/zV62eGmxfl

— Star Potter (@Starpotternews) April 20, 2026