2 weeks Ago By Ado Oyeyemi
At least 14 passengers have been abducted by gunmen along the Makurdi/Naka/Adoka road in Benue State. The incident occurred between 10 and 11 a.m.
on Thursday, approximately three kilometers from Naka, the administrative headquarters of Gwer West Local Government Area. A commercial driver, who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons, confirmed that the two vehicles involved in the attack were a Picnic and a Sharon bus, both carrying 12 passengers each. The vehicles were reportedly en route from Makurdi when the gunmen ambushed them.
Yakubu Onu, the secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at the High-Level Unit in Makurdi, verified the incident. He explained that one of the vehicles had departed from Makurdi and was heading to Lokoja when it was attacked near Naka. The second vehicle, traveling from Ankpa in Kogi State to Makurdi, was ambushed at the same location.
According to Onu, the first vehicle had nine passengers on board, six of whom were abducted and taken into the bush. In the second vehicle, eight passengers were seized at the same spot. Onu further mentioned that three passengers from the vehicle heading to Lokoja were spared, and the driver of that vehicle, along with the three passengers, proceeded to report the incident at the Naka police station.
However, Onu noted that no further updates had been received regarding the driver. The traditional ruler of Naka, HRH Daniel Abomtse, also confirmed the abductions. He stated that the gunmen attacked the two commercial vehicles and took several passengers.
However, they spared an elderly woman, a breastfeeding woman, and some children traveling with the driver. The incident occurred at Okpa, near Adoka, on the border between Gwer West LGA and ungoverned areas, which have become known for harboring criminals. The monarch appealed to the Federal Government to conduct aerial surveys of the coastal areas in both Benue and Nasarawa states to address the growing insecurity in the region.
When contacted, Catherine Anene, the Benue State Police Command Public Relations Officer, responded briefly, stating, “I don’t have this report.”.
