Gunmen have abducted passengers travelling along the Ogobia–Adoka road in the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, sparking fear across communities in the area.
Naijaonpoint reports that the attack, which occurred over the weekend, involved a commercial vehicle reportedly forced off the road by armed men who then seized its occupants.
Locals who spoke with Daily Sun revealed that the kidnappers intercepted the vehicle, shot at it, and caused it to veer into a nearby bush before dragging the passengers away.
Residents claimed the driver was killed during the incident, though this has yet to be officially confirmed.
“They forced the vehicle off the road into the bush. The driver was killed, and the passengers were taken after the vehicle stopped,” a local source alleged.
As of the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of the abducted passengers remain unknown.
Chairman of Otukpo LGA, Alfred Omakwu, confirmed the attack in a telephone interview with Daily Sun on Monday.
According to him, the incident occurred two days earlier, but the number of victims has not been determined.
He said, “We don’t know the exact number of people kidnapped because we don’t know how many were in the vehicle.
“However, given the capacity of the vehicle, we assumed that about six persons could have been taken away by the abductors.”
Mr Omakwu added that he has yet to receive information on whether the victims have been released.
“There are speculations that the abductors have opened talks with the victims’ families,” he said.
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