Gunmen on Sunday, abducted twelve passengers travelling in a Benue Links Nigeria Limited bus along the Enugu-Ugbokolo-Otukpo Federal Highway in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
The bus with a capacity of 13 passengers had left Abeokuta before it was ambushed.
The incident, which occurred at about 6:30 p.m. at Eke Elengbecho, involved a Hummer bus bearing the registration number 14B-143BN.
This is the fifth reported attack on a Benue Links vehicle in recent times, underscoring growing security concerns for travelers in the region.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the attack on Monday.
The Police spokesperson, DSP Edet Udeme, told THE WHISTLER that 13 persons, including the driver, were abducted during the ambush.
“A Hummer bus with registration number, 14B-43BN was stopped, and about 13 people, including the driver, were abducted,” she said.
“One person (Paul Terna) was rescued.”
She added that “The State’s Commissioner of Police, police tactical teams, and the military are at the scene, trying to rescue the 11 victims.”
Benue Links Nigeria Limited also verified the incident.
In a statement released Monday morning, the company’s information officer, Ehi Johnson, revealed that the bus had departed Abeokuta en route to Makurdi with 12 passengers and a driver before being intercepted.
According to Johnson, the vehicle was abandoned by the roadside at Eke Elengbecho with some passengers’ luggage still intact.
He said, “However, the driver and 11 passengers were missing.
“One passenger managed to escape and reached the Eke Police Station and reported that the bus was ambushed by armed kidnappers.”
Johnson also condemned the attack, saying, “Benue Links Nigeria Limited strongly condemns the attack on her vehicle and passengers by criminal elements.
“We stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of those affected, and we assure the public that we are actively collaborating with security agencies, who are working diligently to secure the safe return of the abducted passengers and the driver.
“We commend the swift response of law enforcement agencies and express confidence in their ongoing efforts to bring this distressing situation to a safe and prompt resolution.”
The kidnapping occurred just days after the Yelewata massacre, in which over 200 people were reportedly killed.
The Tor Tiv V, His Royal Majesty Prof. James Ayatse, condemned attempts to frame the killings as a herder-farmer clash.
Ayatse described the violence as “a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits.”
He added that such narratives dangerously distort the ongoing crisis in Benue State and ignore its deeply rooted causes.
The Yelewata incident marks the second major attack by suspected herders in the state within two months.
