Armed men dressed in military camouflage abducted 15 passengers and killed one person after ambushing a commercial bus in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident occurred on Sunday, February 8, around 7:30 p.m. at Ado-Okpoga along the Oju–Ado-Ekiti road, security sources confirmed on Tuesday.
According to reports, the Hummer vehicle, driven by 35-year-old Gbenga Peter, was travelling from Oju Local Government Area in Benue State to Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State with 23 passengers on board when it was intercepted by nine gunmen wearing army uniforms.
The attackers opened fire on the bus, killing one passenger identified as Idiku Meshak Ogbete, 22, on the spot.
Fifteen other passengers were forcibly taken into the nearby bush, while the driver and eight passengers managed to escape and later reported the incident at Okpokwu Police Station.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Okpokwu swiftly mobilized patrol teams, tactical units, and joint security forces, including Operation Whirl Stroke, the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, and other security agencies.
“The corpse of the deceased has been recovered and deposited at the mortuary in Okpoga,” a security source said.
“A coordinated search and rescue operation is currently underway in the surrounding bushes to locate the kidnappers, arrest them, and secure the release of the abducted victims.”
The attack has heightened fears of rising insecurity along inter-state routes in the region, with residents and travellers calling for increased military presence and better surveillance to curb banditry and kidnapping incidents.
Security operatives are yet to recover the abducted passengers or apprehend the suspects as the search continues.
