Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Nigeria Police Force has successfully rescued all 18 passengers abducted from a Benue Links bus in Otukpo, Benue State, following a coordinated intelligence-driven operation that brought a four-day nightmare to a close.
The rescue, which saw the safe recovery of the remaining 13 victims early Sunday morning, included eight students who were travelling to Otukpo to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. Force spokesperson DCP Anthony Placid confirmed that the operation, carried out across the Amla Forest corridor and adjoining areas, led to the arrest of seven suspects, three of whom have been positively identified as members of the kidnapping syndicate. “The Nigeria Police Force has achieved a major operational breakthrough with the rescue of all victims abducted in the Otukpo kidnapping incident involving passengers of a Benue Links bus on 15 April 2026,” Placid said. “Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Benue State Police Command launched coordinated clearance operations across the Amla Forest corridor and adjoining areas. These efforts led to the safe recovery of the remaining 13 victims, including eight students en route to Otukpo for their UTME examinations. In total, all 18 passengers have now been accounted for.”
The abduction occurred on the evening of Wednesday, April 15, 2026, when armed gunmen intercepted the state-owned bus along the Makurdi–Otukpo road near the Benue Burnt Bricks axis in Otukpo Local Government Area. The assailants robbed the passengers before dragging several of them into the bush.
While police initially confirmed that 14 passengers were abducted, it later emerged that 15 individuals had been taken, with two managing to escape shortly after the incident. By Friday, authorities had secured the release of five victims, leaving 13 still in captivity. The breakthrough came after sustained pressure from a joint security operation that included the IGP’s tactical team and troops of Operation Whirl Stroke. Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, who briefed Governor Hyacinth Alia at the Government House in Makurdi, credited the deployment of the IGP’s tactical team for intensifying pressure on the bandits. “That is why we were able to mount pressure on the bandits to ensure the victims’ safe return,” Emenari said.
The eight UTME candidates among the rescued passengers have been identified as Jessica Akor, Daniel Gbile, Ngukulan Iornav, Benjamin Nyikwagh, Paul Wende, Anodokator Nyikwagh, John Ukaha, and Agatha Buter. Other rescued victims include Augustine Okechalo, Emmanuel Okechalo, Joshua Elaigwu, Hyacinth Okoh, Sylvester Orih, Timothy Kim, and Simon Friday. According to an operational report, all 13 survivors were evacuated to the General Hospital in Otukpo, where they received medical attention for injuries sustained in captivity.
Several of the abducted persons later narrated harrowing tales of their ordeal, explaining that they were beaten with sticks and cutlasses and fed with unripe mangoes. They said their captors forced them to drink water that was not fit for human consumption and kept moving them from one point to another to evade security personnel, leaving them physically and emotionally drained.
The police have confirmed that eight suspects are currently in custody, with seven directly linked to the kidnapping. Commissioner Emenari disclosed that one or two of the victims have already identified some of the suspects as having participated in the operation. “We already have eight suspects in our custody, and out of this number, seven are suspected herdsmen bandits connected with the crime. Some of the victims have been able to identify them,” Emenari said. Investigations are ongoing to track down other accomplices and dismantle the broader criminal network behind the attack. The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, commended the officers of the Benue State Command for their professionalism and bravery and directed the intensification of clearance operations within the Otukpo axis to prevent further criminal activities.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, visibly elated at the rescue, commended the security agencies for their determination and noted that the axis between Taraku in Gwer East and Otukpo has been a frontline for kidnappers. He recalled recent rescues in the state, including 20 medical students, 17 travellers from Oju, nine parishioners, and 13 others in Katsina-Ala, and credited the successes to the hard work of security officers and the joint task force. Alia urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule the examinations for the eight affected candidates, pledging that the state government would take full responsibility for them.
He also read the riot act to criminals, declaring that his administration would not tolerate threats to peace in Benue. The Makurdi–Otukpo corridor has increasingly become a target for armed groups operating in central Nigeria, with kidnapping for ransom emerging as a recurring threat along routes that communities and students depend on for movement between towns.
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