On June 29, 2025, a joint operation involving the Nigerian Police Force, local vigilantes, and community youths from Kogi State successfully rescued 13 passengers abducted from a Benue Links bus along the Otukpo-Enugu highway in Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State.
The kidnapping occurred on June 27 at Eke, a notorious hotspot where armed gangs have exploited limited security presence. The operation, which culminated in a forest hideout after a two-day manhunt, led to the arrest of five suspects, who are now under interrogation at the Benue State Police Command. Governor Hyacinth Alia, addressing a press conference in Makurdi, lauded the operatives for their use of advanced tracking technology, including drones, which pinpointed the hostages’ location. No ransom was paid, despite the kidnappers’ initial demand of N100 million.
The rescued passengers, comprising eight women and five men, were unharmed but are receiving medical evaluations and trauma counseling at a government facility in Otukpo. The operation underscores Nigeria’s persistent kidnapping crisis, with over 1,500 abductions reported in the North-Central region in 2024, costing communities an estimated N500 million in ransom payments and economic disruptions.
Benue, a key agricultural hub producing 10% of Nigeria’s yam output, has seen 6,896 deaths from armed attacks since May 2023, with 306 abductions in the same period. Alia announced plans to deploy 1,000 additional security personnel and install 50 CCTV cameras along major highways by Q4 2025 to curb such incidents. Critics, including Amnesty International’s Isa Sanusi, argue that the federal government’s security measures remain inadequate, with 638 villages in Benue under bandit control. The rescue has sparked hope, but residents demand a national task force to address the 4,777 abductions recorded since President Tinubu’s inauguration.