Police rescue 13 Kidnap victims in Benue

The Benue State Police Command has rescued thirteen passengers kidnapped along the Otukpo–Adoka Road on August 14, 2026, while travelling from Enugu to Abuja.

The victims were rescued at about 2:am on Thursday at Amla-Cho Forest in Otukpo local government area after five days of sustained search and rescue operations.

The police in a statement signed by the spokesperson, Orchia Peter Aondongu, on Friday, said its operatives, acting on credible intelligence, encountered the kidnappers during a night operation, forcing the suspects to flee under cover of darkness while the victims were rescued unhurt.

The Command also noted that its personnel engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle on 16 August, during which one suspect was neutralised and an AK-47 rifle with five rounds of live ammunition recovered.

The police said although an earlier passenger manifest indicated that nine victims remained missing after five had been rescued, subsequent verification showed that four additional passengers were not captured on the manifest, bringing the number rescued in the latest operation to 13.

The rescued passengers were taken to a medical facility for treatment before being conveyed to their respective destinations in a chartered bus, as the police intensified efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus C.N. Nwadiogbu, commended the personnel for their courage and resilience and urged transport operators to maintain accurate passenger manifests to facilitate timely identification and rescue during emergencies.