Secret Reporters No place to hide
Secret Reporters
According to the National Road Traffic Regulations and the Federal Road Safety Commission Act, it is stipulated that the use of manifest in an interstate journey by road transport companies is mandatory as over time it has proven to enhance and ensure communication with family members in case of eventualities. It is also the duty of road transport companies to contact the family members (next of kin) of their passengers in the event of an accident or any other unforeseen circumstances which may arise. However, while some transportation companies have been effective in its use, others only collect passengers’ data as a mere formality and do not see it as their responsibility to contact family members when they are involved in mishaps.
God Is Good Motors Limited a popular road transport company known by many to apply a touch of excellence in their operations recently appears to be wolves in sheep clothing as they have decided to play the blind mouse to abducted victims. This is as information made available to SecretReporters reveals that about Seven (7) female passengers who were travelling in a 7 am God is Good Motors Bus from Enugu to Lagos on Thursday, September 13 was abducted by unknown gunmen along the Benin/Ore expressway.
It was gathered that after all the passengers on board were robbed, about seven passengers consisting of older and younger women were abducted and taken to an unknown destination. One would have expected the transport company to immediately contact families of the abductees as it is a clear case of kidnap; howbeit this was not the case as SecretReporters learnt that some of the families of the victims only discovered that their loved ones have been kidnapped when the abductors called them to demand a ransom of 10million naira each from them.
Our source who is a family member to one of the victims who spoke to our reporter further revealed that after a week of the incident, the management of God is Good motors were yet to contact them neither have they made a press release or disclaimer to inform Nigerians regarding the incident till date. More sad is the fact that the families of some of the victims who do not know the locations or fate of the loved ones who are still held by the abductors are in despair and are running helter-skelter in a bid to raise the 10million naira ransom as some families have been reported to have paid and secured the release of theirs.
Another source who is a sibling to one of the victims alleged that “……. the actions of the transport company is a clear sign that they connived with the abductors to kidnap the victims and demand for ransom from the family or they may have been used for ritual purposes in order to keep the company afloat”. He stated.
It will be recalled that in a similar incident which occurred along east-west road in Rivers State about a month ago, five passengers were kidnapped from a vehicle belonging to the same transport company at about 7.30 am as it is now becoming obvious that presumably this callous transport company now constantly hid under the name “God is Good” to perpetrate evil while neglecting the safety of their passengers.
When the management of God Is Good Motors (GIGM) was contacted and asked about the whereabouts of the seven abducted female passengers by our reporter, they responded by saying “we are not aware if the passengers are still alive or dead” and further dismissed claims that they have not begun contacting family members of the victims.
