Gunmen ambushed an 18-seater bus belonging to the Benue State Transport Company, known as Benue Links, on Thursday night, killing the driver and a front-seat passenger, while abducting several others. The bus had departed from Makurdi, the state capital, and was heading to Otukpo when it was attacked near Ikobi, just a few kilometers from Otukpo.
Sources reported that the attackers quickly took the kidnapped passengers into the nearby bush. Otukpo Local Government Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the incident on Friday, revealing that five passengers were abducted, though one female passenger managed to escape.
“It’s true that the incident occurred Thursday night involving a Benue Links bus traveling from Makurdi to Otukpo,” Ogiri said. “The driver was killed, and another passenger was injured. Five passengers were taken, but a female passenger managed to escape this morning and is now speaking with police in Otukpo.”
Benue Links later confirmed the death of the driver, identified as Samuel Agege, and the front-seat passenger. The company also stated that three passengers managed to escape, while one had disembarked earlier in Taraku town before the attack.
A statement from the company, signed by its Information Officer Johnson Daniel, expressed condolences to the families of the victims and stated that they were working closely with security agencies to rescue the abducted passengers.
The attack occurred just hours after Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, had visited Otukpo to address growing concerns over rising insecurity. The governor had assured residents of his commitment to improving security, but the attack came shortly after his departure, leaving the community even more shaken.