Gunmen Abduct Six Travelling With Woman’s Corpse, Abandon Body on Benue Road
Gunmen have abducted six people travelling from Kano State to Benue State with the corpse of a deceased woman for burial, abandoning her remains along Adoka Road in Otukpo Local Government Area.
The incident occurred at about 8pm on Friday, October 30, when the travellers’ vehicle was intercepted by the armed men while heading to Okpoga, headquarters of Okpokwu Local Government Area.
The victims comprised the deceased woman’s husband and five other people accompanying him to transport her remains for burial.
According to accounts provided by a community sympathiser, the abductors took the six occupants into the bush but left the woman’s corpse on the road.
Personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps reportedly discovered the body on Saturday morning and took it to a police station in Adoka, from where it was subsequently deposited in a mortuary.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the incident, disclosing that the driver of the vehicle was his friend.
Ogiri described the development as traumatic and said security agencies were making efforts to locate the abductors and secure the victims’ release.
He also disclosed that local vigilante groups and youths were supporting efforts to rescue the abducted persons.
The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, also confirmed the incident, saying it happened on Friday.
According to him, security personnel were making efforts to rescue the victims.
Meanwhile, a community sympathiser, Meddy Olotu, who raised the alarm over the abduction, said the kidnappers had contacted the victims’ relatives and demanded a ransom of ₦15 million.
He disclosed that a family member had been communicating with the abductors, who reportedly spoke a language the relative understood.
However, a separate report quoting a security source put the alleged ransom demand at ₦20 million, leaving the exact amount unclear.
The incident has compounded the distress of the deceased woman’s family, which is now faced with the challenge of securing the release of the six abducted persons while making arrangements for her burial.
The police said efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims, but their release had not been confirmed in the latest accounts available as of Monday, November 2.
