Thirteen passengers abducted along the Eke axis in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State have regained their freedom following a coordinated rescue operation involving the police and local vigilantes.
Confirming the development on Sunday, Okpokwu LGA Chairman, Adah Inalegwu, revealed that a tactical sweep of the forest by security operatives and vigilante groups led to the successful recovery of the victims.
According to Inalegwu, two passengers were first freed on Saturday as the team intensified their search. A breakthrough came on Sunday when additional support from youth volunteers, including those from neighbouring Kogi State, forced the kidnappers to abandon the remaining 11 captives near Oando village around 4:00 p.m.
He credited Governor Hyacinth Alia’s support—particularly in logistics and security surveillance—as crucial to the success of the mission. “The provision of logistics by Governor Hyacinth Alia, with improved security surveillance and tracking, led to the rescue of the victims,” Inalegwu stated.
The rescued passengers, who were taken after gunmen attacked their Benue Links bus (with registration number 14B-143BN), are currently undergoing profiling before being reunited with their families. The assailants had reportedly ambushed the vehicle, robbed the passengers, and forcefully marched several of them into the surrounding bush.
In a related development, Governor Hyacinth Alia has strongly condemned the murder of two Kano State indigenes in the Agan area of Makurdi by unknown assailants, describing the attack as “barbaric and unacceptable.”
The governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, announced that five suspects have already been apprehended by the Benue State Police Command in response to the killings. This action, he said, followed the governor’s directive to law enforcement to act swiftly.
“The governor is deeply saddened by the deaths of two men identified as indigenes of Kano State who were travelling through the state but were brutally attacked and murdered by criminals,” Kula said in a statement.
Governor Alia vowed to ensure justice is served, warning that such acts of violence would not be tolerated in Benue. “Benue people are known for their hospitality and peaceful disposition. We cannot allow some criminal elements to tarnish our image and create a contrary image for our people,” the governor said. “These criminals MUST be fished out immediately and made to face the full wrath of the law.”
