The Benue State Police Command has deployed surveillance drones and intensified ground operations to locate 11 passengers and a driver who were abducted by gunmen on Sunday evening in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were travelling in a Benue Links bus along the Otukpo-Otukpa-Enugu highway when the vehicle was intercepted at Eke, around 6:30 p.m.
The attackers, believed to be kidnappers, reportedly robbed the occupants before leading them into a nearby forest.
Benue Links Nigeria Limited confirmed the incident in a statement issued Monday in Makurdi by the company’s Information Officer, Johnson Daniel. According to the statement, the bus with registration number 14B – 143BN had departed Abeokuta, Ogun State, en route to Makurdi with 12 passengers and a driver on board.
The company said the vehicle was later found abandoned by the roadside with some luggage still inside.
One passenger managed to escape and reported the attack to police in Eke.
“We regret to inform the public of the unfortunate attack on one of our buses.
We are working closely with security agencies to secure the safe return of the abducted passengers and the driver,” the statement said.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the launch of a rescue operation involving tactical police teams, soldiers, and members of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards.
Police spokesperson SP Sewuese Anene (name replaced by Udeme Edet in original text) said one of the kidnapped passengers, Paul Terna, was rescued during an initial search of the forested area.
“Reinforcements have been sent to the area, and drones have been deployed to help pinpoint the location of the victims,” Edet said, adding that Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari had personally relocated to the area to oversee the operation.
Meanwhile, efforts to get further details from the military component of the security operation, Operation Whirl Stroke, were unsuccessful as its acting spokesperson, Lt. Zubair Ahmad, requested time to consult with his superiors but had not responded as of press time.
The stretch of the Otukpo-Enugu highway between Ogbadibo and Okpokwu has become a known hotspot for kidnappings, with at least three abduction incidents reported in the past month alone.