Parents of 12 passengers abducted by gunmen along the Otukpo-Ugbokolo highway in Benue State have called on the government to launch a thorough investigation into the conduct of security personnel stationed at the Eke checkpoint in Okpokwu Local Government Area at the time of the attack.
The passengers, who were traveling in a Benue Links vehicle, were abducted at about 6:33 p.m. near the Eke checkpoint, a location reportedly manned by soldiers and other security operatives. Families of the victims have accused security forces of negligence and complicity, claiming they did nothing to stop the kidnapping and later misled efforts to track the assailants.
A parent of one of the abductees, who spoke to journalists in Makurdi under condition of anonymity, alleged that soldiers witnessed the abduction but failed to intervene.
“My daughter said the soldiers were right there when it happened but just watched as the kidnappers led them into the bush,” he said. “When the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) arrived and asked for the direction the kidnappers fled, the soldiers pointed the police in the wrong direction, which wasted valuable time.”
The distraught father further criticised the police for announcing that the victims were rescued through a tactical operation, stating instead that the victims were released after ransom payments were made by their families.
“I was still in Ugbokolo after paying the ransom when I heard the police on air claiming they had rescued the victims,” he said angrily.
One of the female victims also recounted the harrowing experience in the hands of the abductors. According to her, the incident occurred just after their vehicle passed the checkpoint. Gunmen opened fire from both the front and rear, forcing the driver to stop.
“The attackers, three in number, led us into the forest and made us walk almost nine kilometres. They hid us under rocks and kept relocating us whenever they heard gunshots,” she said.
She revealed that one of the male passengers was tied up and brutally macheted on the forehead during the ordeal.
On the second day, after hearing the sounds of motorcycles and voices, the kidnappers reportedly began making ransom demands. Once a ransom was paid by a victim’s family, the abductors fled, abandoning the passengers in the forest.
Stranded and weak, the victims eventually stumbled on a house in a nearby community. The residents quickly alerted local vigilantes, who helped evacuate them to the Ugbokolo Police Station.
The incident has sparked public outrage and renewed calls for accountability among security forces. Families are demanding that all personnel on duty at the Eke checkpoint on the day of the abduction be thoroughly investigated and held accountable if found complicit.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the Nigerian Army or the Benue State Police Command regarding the allegations.
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