Fifteen travellers have been abducted after armed attackers intercepted a commercial bus travelling along the Makurdi–Otukpo highway in Benue State, prompting a security operation to locate the victims and track down the perpetrators.
Police sources said the incident unfolded late Tuesday evening when a passenger vehicle operated by Benue Links was reportedly ambushed by gunmen along the busy route.
The attack triggered an emergency response from security personnel in the area.
According to preliminary information, the driver of the vehicle, identified as Peter Ikwe, alerted authorities after the incident.
He reported the attack to the Divisional Police Officer in Otukpo shortly after escaping the scene.
Ikwe was said to be driving a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BGT 224 SA from Makurdi to Otukpo with 18 passengers onboard when the attackers struck.
The assailants allegedly stopped the vehicle close to the vicinity of the Operation Whirl Stroke barracks.
Witness accounts indicate that the armed men forced most of the occupants out of the bus and marched them into nearby bushes.
“The gunmen blocked the road suddenly and overpowered the passengers. Fifteen people were taken away while a few others managed to flee,” a security source said.
Security operatives quickly launched a response after receiving the report. Patrol units and tactical teams were deployed to the area as part of a coordinated search effort.
Police authorities confirmed that joint security teams have begun combing surrounding forests in an attempt to locate the abducted passengers and arrest those responsible.
A police source familiar with the operation said investigators from the Anti-Kidnapping Unit have also opened a formal probe into the incident.
“The priority at the moment is the safe rescue of the victims,” the source said, adding that security agencies are intensifying surveillance along the corridor to prevent further attacks.
Authorities said updates would be provided as the ongoing rescue operation progresses.