The Benue State Police Command has rescued eight more passengers abducted by suspected kidnappers along the Ankpenchi-Ogobia road in Ohimini Local Government Area of the state.
The latest rescue brings to 12 the number of victims recovered after 13 passengers travelling in a commercial bus were abducted along the route on September 13, 2026.
However, one of the abducted passengers reportedly died from injuries sustained while in the custody of the kidnappers.
The State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in Makurdi.
Nwadiogbu said the rescue operation was carried out at about 6:30am on Friday when operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, supported by other tactical teams, raided the kidnappers’ hideout in the Ankpenchi axis of Amla Forest.
According to him, the security teams had been conducting search and rescue operations since Monday, September 14, following credible intelligence on the location of the suspected kidnapping syndicate.
He said the operation led to an exchange of gunfire between the operatives and the kidnappers, who were forced to flee into the forest.
The police boss said the confrontation created an opportunity for the operatives to rescue eight of the nine remaining victims.
He explained that four other victims had earlier been rescued shortly after the September 13 attack, leaving nine people still in captivity.
“On 13 September 2026, at about 2300 hours, armed men intercepted a commercial bus travelling along the Ankpenchi-Ogobia axis and abducted 13 persons,” Nwadiogbu said.
He added that police operatives immediately commenced coordinated efforts to rescue the victims, resulting in the initial rescue of four persons.
The commissioner said the rescued passengers later informed the police that one of the remaining victims had sustained serious injuries allegedly inflicted by the kidnappers and subsequently died in another part of the forest.
Nwadiogbu said the rescued victims were safe and receiving the necessary attention, while security operatives were continuing their search for the fleeing suspects.
He added that efforts were also being made to locate and recover the remains of the deceased victim.
The development comes as the Nigeria Police Force intensifies operations against kidnapping and other violent crimes across the country.
The police said on Sunday that 262 suspects had been arrested and 27 kidnapped victims rescued during various operations nationwide.
According to the force, the arrests were linked to offences including kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, banditry, cultism, human trafficking, drug peddling, vandalism and other criminal activities.
