The Benue State Police Command has rescued 13 passengers abducted along the Otukpo–Adoka Road on August 14, 2026, while travelling from Enugu to Abuja.
The Command said the victims were rescued following sustained search and rescue operations by its operatives in collaboration with local security personnel.
In a statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Orchia Peter Aondongu, on Friday, the police said the operation marked a significant breakthrough in efforts to disrupt the activities of the kidnappers.
The statement said that after five days of intensive search operations, operatives, acting on credible intelligence, conducted a night operation that led to the rescue of the victims at about 2am on August 20, 2026, at Amla-Cho Forest in Otukpo Local Government Area.
According to the Command, the operatives encountered the kidnappers and the abducted passengers during the operation, forcing the suspects to flee under the cover of darkness.
The victims were rescued unhurt.
The statement added that on August 16, operatives had engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle during the ongoing search operation, resulting in the neutralisation of one suspect.
An AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition were also recovered from the scene.
The rescued victims were taken to a medical facility for medical attention before being transported to their respective destinations in a chartered bus.
The Command also highlighted the importance of maintaining accurate passenger manifests, noting that discrepancies in the initial documentation affected the number of victims believed to be missing.
It explained that while the initial manifest indicated that nine victims remained to be rescued after five others had earlier been rescued, subsequent verification showed that four additional passengers had not been captured on the manifest.
This brought the number of victims rescued during the latest operation to 13.
The police said efforts were ongoing to track and apprehend the fleeing suspects through sustained intelligence-led operations.
The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the personnel for their courage, resilience and commitment, which led to the safe rescue of the victims.
Nwadiogbu assured residents that the Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, would sustain operations aimed at protecting lives and property and dismantling criminal networks across the state.
The Command also urged transport operators to maintain accurate and complete passenger manifests for every journey.
It said proper documentation was critical to facilitating the timely identification, verification and rescue of victims during emergencies.
Alternative titles
Benue police rescue 13 kidnapped passengers after five-day operation