Armed men suspected to be bandits have reportedly abducted several travellers along the Owerri-Onitsha Expressway in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday morning around the Umunoha axis when the attackers intercepted two commercial buses travelling from Onitsha to Owerri.

A source who spoke anonymously said the exact number of passengers abducted was yet to be confirmed.

The source attributed the attack to traffic congestion caused by cattle crossing the expressway, which allegedly forced vehicles to slow down.

“Many people were kidnapped. They usually launch attacks when their cattle are crossing the road because they know vehicles will slow down,” the source said.

The latest incident comes amid reports of repeated kidnappings along the route, with some victims reportedly released after ransom payments.

The source also alleged that a man and his daughter were abducted along the road about three weeks ago and released after a reported ransom of N29m was paid.

However, the claim could not be independently verified.

As of the time of filing the report, although the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Henry Okoye, had yet to respond to enquiries about the latest incident, many security agents and residents had gathered at the scene of the incident.