Eight kidnapped passengers have been rescued after police stormed a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in a forest along the Ankpenchi axis of Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.
The dramatic rescue operation, which took place in the early hours of Friday, followed days of intensive search efforts by security operatives after a commercial bus travelling from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, to Abuja was attacked by armed men.
According to Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, the gunmen intercepted the bus at about 11pm on Sunday and abducted 13 passengers. Four of the victims were rescued shortly after the attack, but nine others were taken deep into the bush.
Nwadiogbu said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, supported by other tactical teams, continued the search for the remaining victims from September 14 until credible intelligence led them to a suspected kidnappers’ camp in Amla forest around the Ankpenchi axis. At about 6:30am on Friday, police operatives stormed the camp, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire with the suspected kidnappers.
Amid the gun battle, eight of the remaining hostages were successfully freed, while members of the kidnapping syndicate fled into the surrounding forest. However, the operation was overshadowed by the death of the ninth hostage. The commissioner said the victim had sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen during the initial attack. According to information provided by the rescued victims, the kidnappers allegedly kept him alive while moving him between locations in the forest in an attempt to secure a ransom. He eventually succumbed to his injuries.
Police operatives were still combing the forest as of Friday in an effort to recover the victim’s remains and track down the fleeing suspects. Nwadiogbu described the death as painful and unfortunate, while assuring that efforts were ongoing to dismantle the kidnapping syndicate responsible for the attack.
The police commissioner also issued a strong warning to travellers, urging them to avoid night journeys, particularly on routes considered vulnerable to criminal attacks. He advised motorists and passengers travelling long distances to stop in towns and continue their journeys the following day.
The latest operation marks the second major police intervention involving travellers abducted along the route in recent weeks, according to the commissioner, as security agencies intensify operations against kidnapping in the area.
