Gunmen have abducted 15 travellers after attacking a commercial bus along the Utonkon–Okpoga Road in Benue State, worsening security concerns across the North-Central region.
The incident occurred at about 7pm on Monday in the Utonkon axis of Ado Local Government Area, along the route linking Ado and Okpokwu LGAs.
A youth leader in the Utonkon district, Jude Onwe, said the bus was carrying 16 passengers travelling from Iheijwo Market in Oju LGA to various destinations in south-west Nigeria when it was intercepted.
According to Onwe, the attackers blocked the road, stopped the vehicle and forcefully marched the passengers into the bush, confiscating their mobile phones to prevent them from calling for help. The abandoned bus was later recovered and taken to the Utonkon Police Station.
However, accounts of casualties from the attack remain conflicting.
The Chairman of Oju LGA, Jackson Ominyi, said two passengers were killed, while two others were rescued through a joint operation involving authorities in Oju and Okpokwu local government areas. He added that security agencies are still searching for the remaining victims.
But the Benue State Police Command gave a different figure. Its spokesperson, Udeme Edet, said one person was killed while 15 travellers were kidnapped.
Edet confirmed that the Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, has deployed a tactical team to pursue the gunmen and rescue the victims.
The latest attack comes less than 48 hours after armed men stormed Saint John’s Catholic Church, Ojije, also in the Utonkon district, where nine worshippers were abducted during a vigil. No arrests have been recorded in that incident.
Benue State has witnessed a surge in kidnappings and violent attacks by non-state actors, with travellers and rural communities increasingly targeted, despite ongoing security operations by government and law enforcement agencies.
