The Benue State Police Command has launched a search-and-rescue operation using drones and ground troops to locate and rescue 12 people abducted by gunmen in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state.
The victims, 11 passengers and a driver, were travelling in a commercial vehicle belonging to the state-owned Benue Links Transport Company when they were ambushed on Sunday evening around 6:30 p.m.
According to eyewitnesses, the armed assailants intercepted the vehicle, looted passengers’ valuables, and forcibly took them into the surrounding bush.
The incident occurred along the Otukpo-Otukpa-Enugu highway, a road that has become increasingly perilous due to recurrent cases of abduction.
The police tactical team, including anti-kidnapping units and drone surveillance units, has been mobilized to track the kidnappers and rescue the victims unharmed.
One of the passengers, Paul Terna, managed to escape from the abductors and reported the incident to the police in Eke.
The Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Udeme Edet, confirmed the incident and stated that additional reinforcement has been sent to the location to locate other passengers as soon as possible.
The Commissioner of Police has also moved to the area to oversee the rescue operation.
The management of Benue Links has confirmed the abduction and is cooperating with the authorities to secure the release of the victims.
The company’s Information Officer, Johnson Daniel, disclosed that the vehicle was carrying 12 passengers and a driver at the time of the attack.
The incident highlights the growing security concerns in the region, and the need for increased vigilance and cooperation between security agencies and the public to prevent such incidents.
The police are working tirelessly to rescue the abducted passengers, and the state government is urged to take concrete steps to address the security challenges in the area.
