Benue Kidnap Horror: Police Deploy Drones to Track Missing Passengers Abducted from Benue Links Bus
Makurdi, Benue State — The Benue State Police Command has launched a full-scale search operation, including the deployment of drones and tactical teams, to locate 11 passengers and a driver abducted by gunmen on Sunday evening.
The victims were traveling in a Benue Links Transport Company bus when they were ambushed around 6:30 pm near Eke Elengbecho, in Okpokwu Local Government Area, along the Otukpo-Otukpa-Enugu highway—a stretch now increasingly notorious for violent kidnappings.
According to the management of Benue Links, the bus, which departed Abeokuta, Ogun State, was heading to Makurdi when it was intercepted. Armed men reportedly robbed the passengers of their belongings before dragging them into the surrounding forest.
In a statement issued on Monday, the company’s Information Officer, Johnson Daniel, confirmed the incident, revealing that 12 passengers and the driver were on board at the time of the attack. The empty vehicle was later found abandoned by the roadside, with some personal items left behind.
One passenger miraculously escaped and reported the incident to the police in Eke.
“The vehicle, with Registration Number 14B – 143BN, was discovered abandoned with some luggage still intact, but the driver and 11 passengers remain missing,” the company stated.
Police and Military Intensify Rescue Operation
Spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, SP Udeme Edet, said combined forces—comprising the Police Tactical Unit, Military, and the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards—have been deployed for a bush combing operation.
“We have rescued one victim, Paul Terna, who managed to escape from the kidnappers,” Edet confirmed, adding, “drones have been deployed to assist in tracking the kidnappers’ location.”
The Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, has since relocated to the area to oversee the ongoing rescue efforts.
The incident adds to the growing list of abductions along the Otukpo/Enugu federal highway, particularly between the Ogbadibo and Okpokwu sections, which have recorded at least three kidnapping incidents within the last month.
Public Outcry and Ongoing Concerns
The attack has sparked renewed concerns over the safety of interstate transport and the rising wave of kidnappings along Nigerian highways. The Benue Links management condemned the assault and assured the public that it is working closely with security agencies to ensure the safe return of its passengers and driver.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts were still ongoing, and further updates are expected from both the Benue Police Command and Operation Whirl Stroke.
With insecurity escalating on Nigeria’s highways, the daring daylight abduction of 12 passengers in Benue underscores the urgent need for stronger surveillance, road safety, and security intelligence.