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Members of the Benue Buffalos Handball Team narrowly escaped what could have turned into a mass abduction in the early hours of Thursday, December 7, after their bus was ambushed by armed men shortly after midnight on the Otukpo-Enugu highway.
The team was returning from Lagos where they had participated in the Ardova Premier Handball League when the attackers struck. According to eyewitness accounts from the players, the gunmen fired several shots into the air before forcing the driver to stop the vehicle. One of the robbers immediately stabbed the driver in the leg the moment he opened the door.
The players and officials were ordered to lie face-down on the ground while the robbers conducted a thorough search, taking cash, mobile phones, jerseys, sports canvases, a JBL music player, and other personal belongings. Some of the stolen phones reportedly contained sensitive professional and personal information.
“If not for the quick arrival of soldiers, we don’t know what else could have happened,” one of the victims told reporters. The robbery was still in progress when a Nigerian Army patrol arrived at the scene, forcing the assailants to flee into the surrounding bush with the looted items.
The team was traveling in an official Benue State Sports Council bus, a 14-seater vehicle that was carrying 18 passengers, a situation the players say highlights long-standing issues with transportation provided to state athletes. “The bus is old and rickety,” a player explained. “When the attack happened, we struggled to escape because the door wouldn’t open properly. If the vehicle were in better condition, the situation might not have been this bad.”
The incident has left many of the players, who include students, regular workers, serving corps members, and Sports Council staff, traumatized and facing both emotional and financial hardship. The team has issued a strong appeal to the Benue State government and security agencies to launch a thorough investigation and work toward recovering the stolen items and bringing the perpetrators to justice.
The Buffalos also used the opportunity to renew their call for better welfare and safety measures for athletes representing the state, especially those in sports outside the more prominent football discipline. “We’ve suffered quietly for too long,” a team spokesperson said. “Sportsmen, especially those outside football, deserve better.”
As of the time of this report, no official statement has been released by the Benue State government or the relevant security agencies regarding the attack.
The Otukpo axis of the Makurdi-Enugu federal highway has in recent years become notorious for armed robbery and kidnapping incidents, particularly at night. Thursday’s attack on the Benue Buffalos is a grim reminder of the dangers travelers continue to face on that stretch despite repeated promises of improved security.
