Police Rescue Kidnapped Passengers In Benue, Hunt For Abductors Intensifies

The Benue State Police Command has rescued 13 passengers who were abducted along the Otukpo-Adoka road while travelling from Enugu to Abuja.

According to IREPORTERONLINE, the rescue operation was carried out after several days of coordinated efforts by the police and local security personnel.

The victims were reportedly abducted last week between Ankpechi and Omutele villages along the Otukpo-Adoka route. Their rescue brings the total number of passengers freed from the incident to 18.

In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, disclosed that the 13 victims were rescued at about 2 a.m. on Thursday in the Amla-Icho Forest in Otukpo Local Government Area.

He said the operation followed credible intelligence received by security operatives, who launched a coordinated nighttime search of the forest.

According to Aondongu, the kidnappers engaged the operatives but eventually fled under the cover of darkness, abandoning the victims, who were rescued without injuries.

The police spokesperson explained that the operation was linked to an earlier encounter with the suspects on August 16, during which one alleged kidnapper was neutralised.

During the latest operation, security personnel recovered an AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition, while efforts were continuing to locate and apprehend the fleeing suspects.

Aondongu also disclosed that further investigations revealed that the number of victims held by the kidnappers was higher than initially reported.

He said the rescued passengers were taken to a medical facility for necessary attention before arrangements were made to transport them to their destinations in a chartered bus.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the officers and other security personnel involved in the successful operation, urging them to sustain efforts to protect residents and travellers across the state.