Gunmen have abducted 15 travellers along the Utonkon–Okpoga Road in Benue State, escalating concerns over insecurity in the North-Central region.
The victims were travelling in a commercial bus along the Utonkon axis in Ado Local Government Area when the attack occurred around 7 p.m. on Monday. The road links Ado and Okpokwu local government areas of the state.
A youth leader in the Utonkon district, Jude Onwe, told Channels Television that the bus was carrying 16 passengers and was heading out of Utonkon through Okpoga in Okpokwu Local Government Area.
According to Onwe, the passengers had departed from Iheijwo market in Oju Local Government Area and were travelling to various destinations in South West Nigeria when they were ambushed. He said the assailants stopped the vehicle and forcibly marched the passengers into nearby bushes.
“The gunmen collected the passengers’ phones to prevent them from contacting their relatives,” he said, adding that the deserted bus was later taken to the Utonkon police station.
Giving further details, the chairman of Oju Local Government Area, Jackson Ominyi, stated that 16 people were involved in the incident. He said two of the travellers were killed, while two others were rescued.
Ominyi explained that the rescue operation was carried out through a joint effort involving the chairmen of Oju and Okpokwu local government areas, noting that security agencies were still combing the area in search of the remaining abducted passengers.
However, the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, provided a slightly different account, stating that one traveller was killed while 15 others were kidnapped.
Edet disclosed that the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, has redeployed a tactical team to track down the perpetrators and rescue the victims.
The abduction occurred less than 48 hours after gunmen attacked Saint John’s Catholic Church in Ojije, within the Utonkon district, where nine worshippers attending a church vigil were kidnapped. No arrests have been made in connection with that incident.
Benue State has continued to witness repeated attacks by non-state actors who abduct residents and travellers with little restraint. Despite ongoing efforts by the state government and security agencies, the gunmen have persisted in attacking communities, killing innocent people and spreading fear across the state.
What you should know
The latest abduction highlights the worsening security situation in Benue State, particularly along major roads and rural communities.
Frequent kidnappings, attacks on religious centres, and killings have raised alarm among residents and travellers. While authorities continue to deploy tactical teams and coordinate rescue efforts, the recurring nature of these incidents suggests deeper security challenges.
The situation has renewed calls for improved intelligence gathering, stronger security presence on highways, and coordinated community-based interventions to curb the activities of armed groups operating across the state.
