Gunmen kill two, abduct 12 passengers in Benue

Barely 72 hours after residents of Otukpo protested the rising insecurity in their environment, gunmen abducted 12 passengers late Thursday night a few kilometers from Otukpo.

Despite the visit of the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to the ancient town on Thursday, the gunmen defied odds and unleashed terror shortly after the governor’s departure.

The gunmen reportedly ambushed an 18-seater Benue Links bus belonging to the Benue State Transport Company, killing two people including the driver.

The bus had departed from Makurdi, the capital city, and was en route to Otukpo when it was ambushed at Ikobi, a few kilometers from Otukpo town.

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Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman of Otukpo Local Government, confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Friday, stating that five passengers were abducted and a female passenger managed to escape.

He said, “The incident occurred Thursday night, involving a Benue Links vehicle traveling from Makurdi to Otukpo.

“The bus driver was shot dead, another passenger sustained a gunshot wound, and the gunmen abducted five passengers. However, this morning, a female passenger escaped from the kidnappers and is currently briefing the police in Otukpo.”

Meanwhile, the management of the transport company confirmed that the bus driver, identified as Samuel Agege, and a front-seat passenger were killed during the attack.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the company’s Information Officer, Johnson Ehi Daniel, and provided to the press. The statement affirmed that three passengers managed to escape.

It further noted that one passenger had disembarked before the attack and mentioned that an undisclosed number of passengers were abducted by the gunmen.

According to the statement, “Unfortunately, the driver of the 18-seater bus, Mr. Samuel Agege, and a front-seat passenger were fatally shot by the attackers. While the gunmen attempted to abduct the remaining passengers, three individuals managed to escape, and another passenger had disembarked earlier at Taraku town before the incident.

“The management of Benue Links Nigeria Limited extends its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and stands in solidarity with those whose loved ones remain in captivity. We assure the general public that we are in constant communication with security agencies, who are making concerted efforts to rescue the abducted passengers.”