No fewer than eleven passengers and a driver abducted by suspected bandits while traveling in a Benue Links bus have regained their freedom following a joint rescue operation by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies in the state.
The victims were released one week after being kidnapped by armed men along the Otukpa-Enugu Road in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, while en route from Abeokuta, Ogun State, to Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
According to the Information Officer of Benue Links Transport Company, Johnson Ehi, two of the abducted passengers were rescued earlier by security operatives.
Ehi stated that the remaining ten passengers, including the driver, were freed on Sunday evening, adding that mounting pressure from security forces likely forced the kidnappers to abandon the victims in a forest near Oando village in Okpokwu.
He further noted that all the rescued victims appeared to be in stable condition but would undergo medical evaluation and trauma counselling before being reunited with their families.
Confirming the development, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, said the rescue was the result of a coordinated operation involving security agencies, local vigilante groups, and the Chairman of Okpokwu LGA, Adah Inalegwu.
The management of Benue Links expressed gratitude to security operatives and local authorities for their swift response, assuring the public that enhanced security measures would be implemented to ensure the safety of future passengers.
Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing to apprehend the perpetrators and dismantle the network behind the abduction.
