Gunmen Abduct 3 Passengers, Shoot Driver on Highway
- Armed men attacked a vehicle carrying seven people on the Otukpo-Abuja road in Ohimini LGA, Benue State, on Saturday night
- The driver was shot and is in critical condition, while three passengers were taken into the forest by the kidnappers
- The attack is the second kidnapping incident along the same route in just a few days, raising fresh safety concerns
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Benue State - Armed men have kidnapped three travellers and shot a driver after attacking a vehicle at Ijami village, near Oglewu in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack happened around 9:25 pm on Saturday, July 26, 2026, and involved seven people who were travelling from Enugu to Abuja. The gunmen struck shortly after the vehicle passed through Otukpo on its way to the federal capital.
Source: Twitter
As reported by Vanguard, an eyewitness, who spoke without revealing their identity, said three of the passengers fled and have since been confirmed safe, while the driver was shot and is currently receiving treatment.
"He is in critical condition and currently receiving treatment in a hospital. Three of the passengers were taken into the forest by the armed men, while three of the passengers managed to escape. They have been seen and are in safe condition," the eyewitness said.
Second attack in days along same route
The incident follows a similar kidnapping along the same corridor just days earlier, in which a man transporting the body of his late wife from Kano to neighbouring Okpokwu Local Government Area for burial was seized along with five companions.
The kidnappers reportedly left the corpse on the highway and dragged the group into the forest. The victims were later freed after a ransom was paid.
The eyewitness appealed to motorists to stop making night trips along the route, pointing to the poor state of the roads as a factor that makes criminal activity easier.
"We will continue to appeal to people to avoid these routes when night falls. Some of these roads are in deplorable condition, which makes it easy for the criminals to stop the vehicles and take away their victims," the source said.
He urged travellers to break their journeys in Otukpo and continue the following morning rather than risk falling into the hands of kidnappers.
Police confirm kidnapping, urge night travel caution
The Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, confirmed the attack and said efforts were under way to free the three people still in captivity.
"The victims were seven in number, three were rescued while three others are with the kidnappers. The driver was shot and he is receiving treatment at Teaching Hospital, Otukpo," Aondongu said.
He echoed the call for travellers to avoid movement at night, adding that the state's Commissioner of Police had already issued similar guidance.
"Whenever it is night, look for somewhere and pass the night. The Commissioner had issued that advice and we expect that people, for their own safety, desist from night travels," he said.
Attempts to reach Ohimini LGA Chairman Gabriel Adole for comment were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls placed to his telephone.
Source: Original
Bandits kill 3, abduct women in Sokoto
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that bandits attacked the Yartsakuwa community in Sokoto State's Rabah LGA in the early hours of Sunday, killing at least three people.
A survivor named Najeeb Yartsakuwa said his biological sister and four sisters-in-law were among those abducted during the raid.
Sokoto State Police Command confirmed the killings, abductions and livestock rustling through its spokesperson, Ahmed Rufai.
Source: Legit.ng
