Police Deploy Drones to Rescue 12 Abducted Travellers in Benue

The Benue State Police Command has launched a coordinated search-and-rescue operation using drones and tactical ground forces to rescue 12 individuals abducted by armed men in Okpokwu Local Government Area.

The victims, 11 passengers and a driver were travelling in a Benue Links Transport Company bus when they were ambushed around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday along the Otukpo-Otukpa-Enugu highway near Eke, a location notorious for kidnappings. The attackers reportedly intercepted the vehicle, robbed the passengers, and dragged them into a nearby bush.

The road, which connects Benue and Enugu States, has witnessed a surge in kidnapping incidents recently, with at least three recorded in the Ogadibo/Okpokwu axis in the past month.

Confirming the attack, Benue Police spokesperson SP Udeme Edet said anti-kidnapping units, drone surveillance teams, and other tactical operatives have been deployed to comb the area. One of the victims, Paul Terna, reportedly escaped and was rescued by security personnel.

“Our teams, alongside the military and the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards, moved to the scene immediately after receiving the report. One victim has been rescued, and more reinforcements have been deployed,” Edet said, noting that the Commissioner of Police is personally overseeing operations in the area.

Benue Links management has confirmed the abduction. In a statement issued in Makurdi, company spokesperson Johnson Daniel revealed the bus was en route from Abeokuta, Ogun State, to Makurdi when it was attacked. All 12 passengers and the driver were confirmed to be on board.

The escaped passenger who alerted authorities in Eke played a critical role in triggering the swift security response now underway.