19 passengers in two commercial vehicles were kidnapped by suspected armed herders in Jor community, located along the Adoka-Naka road in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack happened Thursday morning and involved two separate buses traveling in opposite directions but attacked at the same dangerous point, about three kilometers from Naka town.
Eyewitnesses in the area revealed that one of the buses was on its way from Ankpa in Kogi State to Makurdi, the capital of Benue, when it was suddenly stopped by gunmen believed to be herders.
Only a few minutes later, another bus traveling from Makurdi to Lokoja, also in Kogi, ran into the same attackers at the same location.
Local sources confirmed that both buses were carrying passengers when the ambush took place. The herders, reportedly armed, forced the passengers out and led away 19 of them into the nearby bush. The situation left residents and travelers in the area in shock.
Traditional ruler and Chairman of the Gwer West Traditional Council, HRH Daniel Abomtse, confirmed the incident.
He said, “I was told that each of the vehicles carried about 12 passengers but an elderly woman, a breast feeding woman, her two kids and a driver were not taken away.” He also noted that the spared passengers later went to the police station to report the incident and were subsequently released by the authorities.
The Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), High Level Unit, Mr. Yakubu Onu, also confirmed the attack. According to him, “We are yet to hear from them and also yet to get further information from those coming from Ankpa.”
