Terror on Benue highway: Suspected herdsmen hijack Benue Links bus, abduct passengers in Owukpa

Suspected armed herdsmen on Friday evening hijacked a Benue Links commercial vehicle. They abducted several female passengers along the volatile Owukpa–Orokam road in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The victims, who were returning from Orba Market in Enugu State to Owukpa, were intercepted around 7 p.m. near the Eyiupi community. Witness accounts indicate that the assailants emerged from the bush, opened fire, and forcibly took the women—both young and elderly—into the surrounding forest.

One of the passengers, a woman who sustained serious gunshot injuries during the ambush, was left behind due to her critical condition and heavy bleeding, which may have risked exposing the kidnappers’ trail. She is currently receiving intensive medical care at St. Mary’s Hospital in Okpoga.

Speaking on the development, Amos Agada, head of the local vigilante group in Owukpa, confirmed the incident and disclosed that as of Sunday morning, the abductors had yet to establish contact with any of the victims’ families. He added that local security teams had launched efforts to locate and rescue the kidnapped women.

Community leader Hon. Adikwu Daniel condemned the persistent insecurity in the area and urged swift intervention by authorities. In a statement, he called on the Chairman of Ogbadibo Local Government Council and heads of security agencies to mobilize and secure the area, which he described as a long-standing danger zone with minimal protective presence.

“There is no credible security network in place to deter or respond to these attacks. This must change,” Daniel stated.

He also copied his plea to the Ada Ogbadibo, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Orokam, demanding immediate and coordinated action to prevent further escalation of violence in the region.