Benue Links confirms abduction of 11 passengers and a driver
Benue Links confirms abduction of 11 passengers and a driver
The management of Benue State Transport Company, popularly known as Benue Links Nigeria Limited, has confirmed that a passenger bus attacked by gunmen on Sunday was travelling from Abeokuta, Ogun State, to Makurdi.
In a statement released on Monday by the company’s Information Officer, Johnson Daniel, and made available to journalists in Makurdi, it was disclosed that the vehicle had 12 passengers and a driver on board when it was intercepted.
According to the statement, one of the passengers managed to escape and reported the incident to the police at Eke Police Station.
The statement partly reads: “We regret to inform the public about an unfortunate incident involving one of our buses, with Registration Number 14B-143BN, which was attacked while travelling from Abeokuta to Makurdi.”
“The attack occurred at about 6:30 pm on Sunday, 22nd June 2025, at Eke Elengbecho, in Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State.
“The vehicle, which departed Abeokuta with 12 passengers and the driver, was later discovered by the roadside at Eke with some of the passengers’ luggage; however, the driver and 11 passengers were missing.
” One passenger managed to escape and reach the Eke Police Station and reported that the bus was ambushed by armed kidnappers.
The management of Benue State Transport Company, Benue Links Nigeria Limited, has strongly condemned the recent attack on one of its vehicles and the abduction of passengers by gunmen. The company expressed deep concern over the safety of those affected and assured the public that it is working closely with security agencies to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped passengers and the driver.
According to the company’s statement, the vehicle, which was en route from Abeokuta, Ogun State, to Makurdi, was intercepted on Sunday by armed men. A total of 12 passengers and the driver were on board. One of the passengers managed to escape and reported the incident to the police at Eke Police Station.
In response to the incident, the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, SP Udeme Edet, confirmed that the police received information about the suspected abduction and promptly launched a rescue operation. He stated that a Hummer bus with registration number 14B-43BN was found abandoned by the roadside in Ugbokolo, located in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.
Upon receiving the alert, a joint team comprising police tactical units, the Nigerian military, and operatives of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards was immediately deployed to the area. During the initial sweep of the surrounding bushes, one of the kidnapped victims, identified as Paul Terna, was successfully rescued after escaping from his captors.
Edet added that additional reinforcements have been sent to intensify the search and rescue efforts. Security personnel are currently combing the forests in the area with the aim of locating and rescuing the remaining abducted passengers as quickly as possible.
