By Adeola Kunle
Thirteen passengers abducted along the Ankpechi–Omutele axis of Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State have regained their freedom after spending eight days in captivity.
The victims were among passengers travelling in an 18-seater commercial bus from Enugu State to Abuja when the vehicle was attacked and the occupants abducted on the night of August 13, 2026.
Five passengers had earlier been rescued, while security operatives continued efforts to locate and free the remaining 13 victims.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed on Friday that all 13 remaining passengers had been successfully rescued during a joint operation involving police personnel and local security operatives.
According to the spokesperson for the command, Peter Aondongu, the operation followed sustained intelligence gathering and intensive search-and-rescue efforts.
In a statement, Aondongu described the rescue as a major breakthrough in the command’s ongoing operations against kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.
“After about five days of intense and relentless search and rescue operations, operatives, acting on credible intelligence, embarked on a night operation which culminated in the successful rescue of the victims at about 0200hrs on 20 August 2026 at Amla-Cho Forest, Otukpo Local Government Area, where the operatives encountered the kidnappers and the victims,” the statement said.
The operation took place in Amla-Cho Forest, where the security team reportedly confronted the kidnappers. The suspects fled under the cover of darkness, leaving the victims behind.
All 13 victims were rescued unharmed.
During the wider search-and-rescue operation, police operatives reportedly engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle. One of the suspected kidnappers was neutralised, while an AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the scene.
The rescued passengers were subsequently taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment before being transported to their various destinations in a chartered bus.
Aondongu said security personnel were continuing intelligence-led operations to identify, locate and arrest the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the officers and other personnel involved in the operation for their courage, resilience and determination, which led to the successful rescue of the abducted passengers.
The police commissioner also assured residents that the command, working alongside other security agencies, would remain committed to protecting lives and property across Benue State.
He said operations against kidnappers and other criminal elements would be sustained as security agencies intensify efforts to make communities and major routes across the state safer.
DIP CONNECT ONLINE NEWS reports that the successful rescue brings an end to the eight-day ordeal of the 13 passengers abducted while travelling from Enugu to Abuja.
Adeola Kunle
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