Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have reportedly abducted at least 15 passengers and killed one person during an attack in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to security-focused publication Zagazola Makama, the incident occurred on Sunday at about 7:30 p.m. in Ado-Okpoga, along the Oju–Ado-Ekiti route.
The attackers, said to be dressed in military uniforms, allegedly intercepted a commercial bus conveying passengers from Oju LGA in Benue State to Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State.
Sources cited by the publication disclosed that the vehicle, driven by Gbenga Peter, 35, was carrying 23 passengers when it was ambushed by nine armed men.
During the attack, the assailants reportedly forcibly took 15 passengers into the bush, while one passenger was shot dead.
The driver and eight other passengers were said to have escaped and later reported the incident at the Okpokwu Police Station.
As of the time of filing this report, the incident had not been independently verified. Efforts to reach Udeme Edet, spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Okpokwu has reportedly deployed patrol teams to track down the gunmen and rescue the abducted victims.
