Gunmen Disguised as Soldiers Kidnap 15 Passengers in Benue

Armed men wearing military uniforms have abducted at least fifteen passengers and killed one other in an attack along a major route in Benue State.

The incident occurred on Sunday evening around 7:30 p.m. at Ado-Okpoga, along the Oju-Ado-Ekiti road in Okpokwu Local Government Area.

According to reports from counter-insurgency publication Zagazola Makama, the assailants intercepted a bus traveling from Oju LGA in Benue to Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State. The vehicle was carrying 23 passengers when it was stopped by nine armed individuals.

During the attack, one passenger was shot dead. The driver and seven other passengers managed to escape and subsequently reported the incident at the Okpokwu police station.

Local authorities have been mobilized, with the Divisional Police Officer in Okpokwu deploying patrol teams in an effort to locate and rescue the abducted victims.

Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful as calls to the police spokesperson were not returned.

This attack adds to the concerning pattern of kidnappings along interstate routes in the region.