Suspected bandits abducted about 14 passengers travelling from Enugu State to Abuja along the Ankpechi–Omutele axis of Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State on Thursday night.
The gunmen reportedly ambushed the commercial bus conveying the passengers, forced them into the bush and abandoned the vehicle on the road.
Confirming the incident, the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu, said operatives had rescued five of the victims, including a four-year-old boy.
The police said nine other victims remained in the custody of their abductors, adding that the command launched a coordinated rescue operation in the early hours of Friday to secure the release of those still in captivity.
He said the operation involved an exchange of gunfire between security operatives and the suspected kidnappers, resulting in the rescue of five victims.
The police spokesperson explained that one of the rescued victims sustained a gunshot wound during the operation and was immediately taken to a medical facility in Otukpo, where the victim is receiving treatment.
Aondongu said operatives of the command, working alongside other security agencies, were intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining nine victims safely, assuring that the operation was being conducted with caution, with the safety of the abducted passengers as the primary objective.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, acknowledged the concerns of the victims’ families and members of the public, saying that concerted efforts were underway to secure the safe release of those still in captivity.
The command urged residents of the affected communities and the general public to remain calm and vigilant and provide the police with credible information that could assist the ongoing rescue operation and help prevent similar incidents.
The police assured the public that they would continue to provide updates as developments unfold.