The Benue State Police Command has confirmed that suspected gunmen kidnapped 15 passengers on the Makurdi–Otukpo highway.
Sources say that the attack happened on April 15, 2026, at about 8:30 p.m. A Benue Links driver named Peter Ikwe told the Divisional Police Officer in Otukpo about it.
The driver of the Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BGT 224 SA was on his way from Makurdi to Otukpo when the vehicle was attacked near the Operation Whirl Stroke barracks. There were 18 passengers on board at the time.
Sources say that the attackers blocked the highway and pulled 15 passengers into the nearby bush, while a few others were able to get away.
As soon as the DPO got the distress call, they sent patrol and tactical teams to the scene. At the same time, joint security operatives started searching the bushes around the area to find the victims and the kidnappers.
The police command also said that the attack is being looked into by its Anti-Kidnapping Unit.
It promised that more details would be made public as the rescue mission went on.
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