Tension is rising in Benue State as parents of 12 abducted Benue Links passengers have accused security personnel of negligence and possible complicity in the recent kidnapping at Eke, Okpokwu Local Government Area.
The parents, speaking in Makurdi, said soldiers posted to the Eke checkpoint did nothing to stop the kidnappers. They also described the police claim of a rescue operation as false, insisting that the victims were released only after ransom was paid.
“My daughter told me that the soldiers were there and just watched while the kidnappers marched them into the bush,” one angry father said. “Later, when the police went to ask the soldiers where the kidnappers went, they gave the wrong direction and wasted valuable time.”
He demanded that the government investigate the actions of the soldiers and police officers who were on duty during the incident.
A female victim also confirmed that the kidnapping took place at exactly 6:33 p.m. as their vehicle approached the Eke checkpoint. She said gunmen opened fire, forcing the vehicle to stop, before leading them into the forest.
“They marched us nearly nine kilometres into the bush. They tied the men and cut one of them with a machete,” she said.
She also revealed that after the ransom was delivered, the kidnappers left them in the forest. The stranded victims eventually found a house nearby and got help from local volunteer guards, who took them to the police station in Ugbokolo.
Parents of the victims are now calling for a thorough probe and for those found guilty of negligence or false reporting to be punished.