Friday, August 14, 2026 - Suspected bandits abducted about 14 passengers travelling from Enugu State to Abuja along the Ankpechi–Omutele axis of Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State on Thursday night.
The gunmen reportedly ambushed the commercial bus conveying
the passengers, forced them into the bush and abandoned the vehicle on the
road.
Confirming the incident, the Benue State Police Command
spokesperson, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu, said operatives had rescued five of
the victims, including a four-year-old boy.
The police said nine other victims remained in the custody
of their abductors, adding that the command launched a coordinated rescue
operation in the early hours of Friday to secure the release of those still in
captivity.
He said the operation involved an exchange of gunfire
between security operatives and the suspected kidnappers, resulting in the
rescue of five victims.
The police spokesperson explained that one of the rescued
victims sustained a gunshot wound during the operation and was immediately
taken to a medical facility in Otukpo, where the victim is receiving treatment.
Aondongu said operatives of the command, working alongside other security
agencies, were intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining nine victims
safely, assuring that the operation was being conducted with caution, with the
safety of the abducted passengers as the primary objective.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu,
acknowledged the concerns of the victims’ families and members of the public,
saying that concerted efforts were underway to secure the safe release of those
still in captivity.
The command urged residents of the affected communities and
the general public to remain calm and vigilant and provide the police with
credible information that could assist the ongoing rescue operation and help
prevent similar incidents.
The police assured the public that they would continue to
provide updates as developments unfold.
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