Benue: Police rescue 13 passengers still held by kidnappers

Benue State Police Command rescues 13 passengers that were kidnapped on the Otukpo-Adoka Road while travelling from Enugu to Abuja.

These people were among the ones who got kidnapped on 14th August 2026 when gunmen stopped the passengers’ vehicle at Otukpo Adoka Road and took them into the forest.

DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu, who is the Police Public Relations Officer, made the announcement through a press statement on Friday.

According to the command, the kidnapped passengers were rescued at about 2:00am on 20th August at Amla-Cho Forest within Otukpo Local Government Area after about five days of searching operation.

The operation was carried out by police operatives in collaboration with local security personnel after intelligence reportedly led them to the location where the victims were being held.

Police said the operatives encountered the kidnappers during the night operation, but the suspects fled under the cover of darkness.

All 13 victims were rescued unhurt.

The Command also disclosed that one of the suspected kidnappers had earlier been killed during an encounter with security operatives.

According to the statement, operatives searching for the abducted passengers encountered the kidnappers at about 6:00pm on August 16, leading to a fierce gun battle.

One of the suspects was neutralised during the exchange, while an AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition were recovered.

Following their rescue, the victims were taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment before being transported to their respective destinations in a chartered bus.

The police also clarified discrepancies surrounding the actual number of passengers kidnapped during the incident.

According to the Command, the initial passenger manifest showed that nine persons were still in captivity following the earlier rescue of five victims.

Further verification, however, revealed that four additional passengers were not captured on the manifest, bringing the number rescued in the latest operation to 13.

The development prompted the Command to caution transport operators on the importance of maintaining accurate passenger manifests.

The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, CP Cletus C.N. Nwadiogbu, commended the operatives involved in the operation for their courage and resilience.

Nwadiogbu assured residents that efforts were being intensified to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.

He also urged residents, particularly those in affected communities, to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist security agencies in apprehending the suspects and preventing further attacks.

The Command advised transport operators to maintain accurate and complete passenger manifests for every journey, noting that proper documentation could facilitate the identification and rescue of passengers during emergencies.