An armed robber who shot a commercial bus driver and raped a middle-aged woman, one of the occupants of the vehicle is now being quizzed by the Osun state police Command. The incident took place last Wednesday in the early hours around Osu, Atakumosa Local Government Area of Osun State. A gang of eight armed robbers carried out the attack, targeting two vehicles travelling from Lagos.
Speaking on the incident, the acting spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Emmanuel Giwa Alade, confirmed that the arrested suspect is being questioned. He assured the public that the remaining perpetrators would be brought to justice. Witnesses revealed that the robbers stopped both a commercial bus and a private car, leaving the bus driver in critical condition after being shot while the woman was left traumatised after the sexual assault.
A passenger who chose to remain anonymous recounted the terrifying experience: “We had left Ife and were approaching Osu when the robbers, who were armed and in a group of eight, blocked our path. “They shot the driver, but he survived. One of the female passengers was raped, and they forced us to transfer money after collecting our ATM cards.”
The passenger added that some of the victims managed to escape into the bush and alerted security personnel.
Shortly after, a team of police officers, vigilante groups, and members of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service arrived to comb the area, leading to the arrest of one of the robbers. The remaining attackers, however, fled the scene.
The injured bus driver was rushed to a hospital in Ile-Ife, where he is currently receiving treatment.
Source: Tribune Online