Benue police deploy drones to track down abducted passengers
The Benue State Police Command has launched a drone-assisted operation to locate 12 individuals abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Otukpo-Otukpa-Enugu highway in Okpokwu Local Government Area.
The victims, comprising 11 passengers and a driver, were traveling in a Benue Links bus when the vehicle was ambushed around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday near Eke. According to eyewitness reports, the assailants robbed the occupants of their belongings before forcefully taking them into a nearby forest.
Confirming the incident, the management of Benue Links stated in a press release on Monday that the bus, with registration number 14B–143BN, had departed Abeokuta, Ogun State, and was en route to Makurdi when the attack occurred. The company’s Information Officer, Johnson Daniel, noted that while the vehicle was later found abandoned with some luggage intact, 11 passengers and the driver were missing. One passenger, however, managed to escape and reported the incident to police at Eke.
“We regret to inform the public of this unfortunate attack on our passengers. We are working closely with security agencies to ensure the safe rescue of those abducted,” the statement read.
Police spokesperson SP Udeme Edet confirmed that joint security forces—including the police tactical unit, military personnel, and the Benue State Community Volunteer Guard—had been deployed to the area. He said the team had rescued one of the victims, identified as Paul Terna, and that additional reinforcements were dispatched.
Speaking Monday evening, Edet added that the Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, had relocated to the area to oversee the search operation. “We have now deployed drones in the area to aid in locating the victims,” he said.
Meanwhile, when contacted for comment, the acting spokesperson for Operation Whirl Stroke, Lt. Zubair Ahmad, said he was awaiting a briefing from his superiors.
The stretch of highway where the incident occurred has gained a reputation as a hotspot for kidnapping, with at least three such cases reported within the last month alone.
