Suspected bandits have once again struck along the Ilorin–Egbe highway, ambushing a commercial bus in a violent attack between Eruku and Egbe, on the border of Kwara and Kogi states.

Patriotic Insights News gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when heavily armed bandits emerged from the bush and opened fire on the vehicle.

A short video obtained by Patriotic Insights News showed the bus riddled with bullet holes, with blood stains visible on the driver’s seat, indicating that the driver sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

The driver, a native of Isanlu, was reportedly rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.

Sources further disclosed that other victims included a trader from Egbe and a passenger described as a Hausa merchant, whose identity could not be confirmed at the time of reporting.

Local residents expressed deep concern over the renewed wave of banditry along the Kwara–Kogi corridor, urging authorities to take swift action to secure the highway. They called on the Chairmen of Yagba East and Yagba West Local Government Areas to collaborate on intensified joint security patrols and forest surveillance in the region.

“This road has become extremely dangerous. Hardly a week passes without reports of kidnapping or attacks,” a resident lamented. “We plead with both state governments and security agencies to intervene before the situation deteriorates further.”

The Eruku–Egbe axis has increasingly become a hotspot for criminal gangs operating between Kwara, Kogi, and parts of Ekiti State. Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the attack.