The Benue State Police Command has arrested seven suspects in connection with the April 15 abduction of passengers along the Otukpo axis, while also securing the rescue of some victims during a coordinated security operation in parts of the state.
The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Edet Udeme, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Makurdi, noting that the breakthrough followed a joint operation involving the police and other security agencies.
According to her, the operation—centred around Amla Forest and adjoining communities—was launched as part of an intensified search-and-rescue effort aimed at tracking down the abductors and freeing the victims.
Udeme confirmed that some of the abducted passengers were rescued during the exercise and are currently receiving medical attention, though she did not state the exact number of persons freed.
She added that actionable intelligence gathered during the operation led to the arrest of seven suspects believed to be connected to the kidnapping incident.
The suspects, she said, are currently in custody as investigations continue.
The police spokesperson also dismissed reports circulating in some media outlets claiming that the victims were students travelling for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), describing the claim as inaccurate.
She clarified that the victims were passengers in a Makurdi-bound commercial bus and not part of any organised examination convoy.
Quoting the Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, Udeme assured residents that sustained efforts were underway to rescue the remaining victims still in captivity, adding that the Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, remained committed to dismantling criminal networks operating in the area.
She further urged members of the public to support ongoing security operations by providing credible and timely information that could aid further breakthroughs.