Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Marauding gunmen in Benue State, Thursday, ambushed two commercial buses and abducted no fewer than 14 passengers.
The incident occured along the Makurdi/Naka/Adoka road around 11am according to local sources.
Reports say the scene of the incident is about three kilometres from Naka, the headquarters of the Gwer West Local Government Area of the state.
Local sources identified the affected vehicles as belonging to Picnic and Sharon transport companies.
Confirming the incident, the Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, High-Level Unit, Yakubu Onu, said the two commercial vehicles belong to their members at High-Level Park, Makurdi.
According to Onu, one of the vehicles left Makurdi and was heading for Lokoja when it was ambushed by gunmen near Naka.
He added that the second vehicle which was ambushed at the same spot, was coming from Ankpa in Kogi State to Makurdi.
“The First vehicle was going to Lokoja with nine passengers on board and six of them were abducted and taken to the bush.
“The second vehicle was coming from Ankpa and coming to Makurdi, eight passengers were abducted at the same spot near Naka.”
The NURTW High-Level unit scribe said that three passengers were spared from the vehicle going to Lokoja and that the driver with the three passengers went to the Naka police station to report the incident.
“The driver called and told us that after he reported at the police station in Naka, he was asked to proceed on his journey but we have not heard from him,” Onu said.
Confirming the abduction also, the traditional ruler of Naka, HRH, Daniel Abomtse, said that the gunmen ambushed two commercial vehicles and went away with some of the passengers.
He said one elderly woman, a breastfeeding woman, and some kids with the driver were spared by the gunmen.
“The incident happened at Okpa near Adoka and bordering Gwer West LGA and there is an ungoverned space around this area that has become a haven of criminals,” the monarch said.
The monarch regretted that some ungoverned areas in the neighbouring Nassarawa State, had become a breeding ground and harbour for bandits.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government to order aerial surveys of all the coastal areas of Benue and Nasarawa states with a view to flushing criminals out of the terrain.
However, the Benue State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, said she was yet to get any information about the incident.
