Unidentified gunmen on Sunday evening abducted several passengers traveling in a commercial bus along the Eke axis in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to a community source, the incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. when the armed men intercepted the bus, robbed its occupants, and subsequently whisked them away. The source claimed that the vehicle involved belongs to the Benue State Transport Company, popularly known as Benue Links, although the company’s management has yet to confirm this.
Confirming the incident on Monday, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, SP Udeme Edet, said the command received a report of a kidnapping involving a Hummer bus conveying passengers along the route.
“We are investigating a suspected kidnapping where a Hummer bus with registration number 14B-43BN was parked by the road in Ugbokolo (Okpokwu LGA),” Edet stated.
He added that joint security forces were immediately mobilized to the area in response to the report.
“On receipt of the information, police tactical teams, the military, and the Benue State Community Volunteer Guard arrived at the scene. They combed the bush and rescued one Paul Terna, who managed to escape from the hands of the suspected kidnappers,” he said.
The police spokesperson also noted that additional reinforcements had been deployed to intensify the search for the remaining abducted passengers, assuring that efforts were ongoing to secure their release.
