Police Rescue 13 Abducted Passengers in Benue Operation

On Thursday, at approximately 2 am, the Benue State Police rescued 13 abducted passengers from Amla-Icho Forest in Otukpo Local Government Area, following five days of search and rescue operations. Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, reported that the operation was initiated based on credible intelligence, leading to an encounter with the kidnappers, who fled, abandoning the victims.

This rescue increased the total number of victims saved from the kidnapping incident along the Otukpo-Adoka road to 18. The operation followed a previous gun battle with the suspects on August 16, where one kidnapper was neutralized, and an AK-47 rifle along with five rounds of ammunition was recovered.

Aondongu noted discrepancies in the passenger manifest, revealing four additional victims not initially recorded. The rescued individuals were taken to a medical facility before being transported to their destinations in a chartered bus.

Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the operatives and urged transport operators to maintain accurate passenger records.