Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Benue State Police Command has rescued eight victims of kidnapping in Ohimini Local Government Area following a gun battle with their abductors, bringing to twelve the number of passengers freed since armed men seized a commercial bus on September 13, 2026. One victim died in captivity from injuries sustained during the initial attack.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, disclosed the rescue on Friday during a press conference at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi, where he also announced the arrest of seventeen suspects in connection with a separate mob attack on police officers in Kwande Local Government Area and the recovery of a locally fabricated pistol from a suspect in Otukpo.
According to the Commissioner, the kidnapping occurred on September 13 at about 11 p.m. when armed men intercepted a commercial bus travelling from Abakaliki in Ebonyi State to Abuja along the Ankpenchi-Ogobia axis of Ohimini Local Government Area. The gunmen abducted thirteen passengers in total and forced them into the forest. Police operatives immediately commenced coordinated search and rescue operations, resulting in the rescue of four victims shortly afterwards, while nine others remained in the custody of the kidnappers.
The breakthrough came in the early hours of Friday, September 18, at about 6:30 a.m., when operatives attached to the Violent Crime Response Unit, alongside other tactical teams, acted on credible intelligence and stormed the camp of the suspected kidnapping syndicate at the Ankpenchi axis of Amla Forest in Ohimini Local Government Area. The teams had been conducting search and rescue operations since Monday, September 14.
"The operation resulted in an exchange of gunfire with the kidnappers, during which eight of the remaining victims were successfully rescued," Nwadiogbu said. "Unfortunately, it was gathered from the victims that one of them who sustained fatal injuries from the kidnappers during the attack died in another area of the forest."
According to the accounts provided by the rescued victims, the deceased, who sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen during the initial attack on September 13, was kept alive by the kidnappers in an attempt to obtain ransom before he eventually died from his injuries while being moved between locations in the forest. Nwadiogbu described the death as painful and unfortunate, adding that police operatives were still in the forest to recover the victim's corpse and apprehend fleeing members of the syndicate.
The rescued victims are currently safe and receiving necessary attention. The Commissioner said efforts were ongoing to apprehend the fleeing members of the kidnapping syndicate and to recover the corpse of the deceased, stressing that the Command was intensifying intelligence gathering and operations to identify and arrest all those involved.
In a separate development, Nwadiogbu disclosed that operatives attached to the Otukpo Area Command, while conducting a stop-and-search operation on September 11, 2026, arrested a suspect identified as Sunday Oguche, from whom one locally fabricated pistol was recovered. He said investigation was ongoing to establish the source of the firearm and the suspect's possible connection with other criminal activities.
The Commissioner also announced the arrest of seventeen suspects over an alleged mob attack on police officers following a fatal road accident at Adagi in Kwande Local Government Area. According to him, police officers responding to the accident were attacked by some youths, who allegedly vandalised a Toyota Hilux patrol vehicle and damaged parts of the police station. The attackers were also accused of carting away mobile phones and other personal belongings during the incident. A senior police officer sustained serious injuries during the attack, while the Divisional Police Officer and members of his team, who had gone to the scene on a rescue mission, were also assaulted. The DPO sustained machete injuries and was receiving medical attention. Nwadiogbu said the seventeen suspects arrested in connection with the incident would be charged to court upon completion of investigations.
The rescue operation marks the second major incident involving kidnapped travellers along the Ankpenchi-Ogobia axis in recent weeks. On August 13, 2026, gunmen abducted seventeen passengers from a commercial bus travelling from Enugu State to Abuja along the Ankpenchi-Omutele axis of Ohimini Local Government Area. Police operatives rescued five victims, including a four-year-old boy, while nine others remained in captivity at the time. The remaining victims were subsequently rescued in a follow-up operation, according to police statements. The recurrence of kidnappings along this route has raised concerns about the security of travellers in the region, particularly those undertaking long-distance journeys at night.
Nwadiogbu used the occasion to issue a direct warning to travellers against embarking on night journeys, particularly along routes considered vulnerable to attacks. He advised motorists and passengers travelling long distances to stop in towns and continue their journeys the following day, stressing the need for members of the public to exercise greater caution due to the prevailing security situation. The Commissioner said the Command remained committed to protecting lives and property across Benue State and urged residents to support security agencies with timely and credible information.
The Benue State Police Command has recorded a series of significant security operations in recent weeks. On September 8, 2026, the Command announced the rescue of eighteen kidnapped victims, the arrest of twenty suspects, and the recovery of three AK-47 rifles and other weapons in a series of intelligence-led operations across the state. The Command also said it had dismantled a criminal camp during the crackdown. On September 10, police teams repelled a large-scale attack by armed bandits on Ayilamo Community, with the case subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Makurdi.
The pattern of kidnappings targeting commercial buses along highways in Benue State reflects a broader challenge facing security agencies in Nigeria's North-Central region. The state's vast forests, porous borders with neighbouring states, and limited road infrastructure create conditions in which criminal syndicates can operate with relative impunity, establishing camps deep in forested areas from which they launch attacks on travellers and rural communities. The police have increasingly relied on intelligence-led operations, tactical deployments, and cooperation with other security agencies and local vigilante groups to disrupt these networks.
For the families of the rescued victims, Friday's operation brought relief after five days of uncertainty. But the death of one passenger underscores the human cost of the kidnapping crisis, and the fact that the syndicate's leaders remain at large means the threat persists. As the police continue their search for the fleeing suspects and the recovery of the deceased victim's body, the Command has reiterated its commitment to working with traditional institutions, community stakeholders, and members of the public to sustain peace and security across Benue State.
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