At least six people were reportedly kidnapped in the early hours of Tuesday by suspected bandits along the Naka–Makurdi road in Benue State. The incident took place at Kula Village, a community near the state capital, Makurdi.
A relative of one of the victims, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the travellers had departed Ilorin on Monday but stayed overnight in Ankpa, Kogi State, due to security concerns along the route.
“They were seven in the vehicle and left Ankpa early Tuesday morning. About 20 minutes from Makurdi, their vehicle was intercepted at Kula Village. One of the passengers escaped, but the six others — three males and three females — were whisked away by the kidnappers,” the source stated.
The source also revealed that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N100 million for the release of the victims.
Confirming the incident, Omnin Torsar, Chairman of Gwer West Local Government, told PUNCH Metro that the abduction occurred around 5:00 a.m. while the travellers were in a convoy.
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“They ran into bandits near Kula, and some were abducted. The incident happened close to Makurdi along the Naka–Makurdi road,” Torsar said, noting that the exact number of victims was not yet clear.
When contacted, DSP Udeme Edet, the Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State, said she had not received any official report regarding the incident.
Kidnappings have been on the rise across Benue State, with recent cases including the abduction of nine worshippers at St John’s Catholic Church, Ojije in Utonkon Ado LGA, and 14 travellers in Okpokwu LGA.
The Naka–Makurdi road, previously avoided by motorists due to frequent attacks, had seen relative calm following the deployment of security agents last year, until Tuesday’s abduction.