At least 19 passengers were abducted by gunmen on Thursday morning in Benue State, as they were traveling along the Adoka-Naka-Makurdi Road in Gwer West Local Government Area. The victims were intercepted by the kidnappers who forced them into the bush.
The incident took place near Jor Community, where the passengers were traveling in two vehicles—a Picnic Bus and a Sharon Bus. While the gunmen abducted the passengers, four victims, including a toddler, an elderly man, a woman, and the driver, were released by the kidnappers due to their age and health.
Witnesses reported that the captors, armed with sophisticated weapons, ambushed the vehicles and made the passengers trek into the bush. The released victims, believed to be natives of Kogi State, shared their ordeal after being freed.
A community leader confirmed the attack, noting that the two vehicles, each with 12 passengers, were hijacked just 3 kilometers from Naka. The vehicles were traveling between Benue and Kogi States when the gunmen struck. According to the community leader, some of the passengers, including the drivers, were set free by the kidnappers.
The vehicles were headed to Lokoja and Makurdi when they were attacked. A driver at the High Level Park in Makurdi also confirmed the incident, though he had limited details. He mentioned that the road had been largely deserted, with only a few drivers still using it for inter-state travel.
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) confirmed that two vehicles from their park were involved in the abduction. The first vehicle, heading to Lokoja, had nine passengers, of whom six were abducted. The second vehicle, coming from Ankpa, was also attacked near Naka, with eight passengers taken away.
Yakubu Onu, the NURTW secretary for High Level Unit, stated that the driver and three passengers from the first vehicle reported the incident to the Naka Police Station, but no further details have emerged from the second vehicle.
As of now, there has been no official confirmation from the police, with CSP Catherine Anene, the spokesperson for Benue State Police Command, yet to comment on the abduction.
