Gunmen abduct 14 passengers along Benue highway

14 passengers were reportedly abducted by gunmen along the Makurdi–Naka–Adoka Road in Benue State on Thursday, April 24, 2025.

The abduction occurred between 10am and 11am, roughly three kilometres from Naka, the administrative centre of Gwer West Local Government Area.

A commercial driver, whodoesn’t want to be quoted, said the victims were travelling in two commercial buses—Picnic and Sharon—each carrying 12 passengers.

Yakubu Onu, Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), High-Level Unit, confirmed the incident, stating that both vehicles belong to union members operating from the High-Level Park in Makurdi.

According to him, the first bus, en route to Lokoja from Makurdi, was ambushed near Naka, and six passengers were taken by the gunmen.

The second bus, heading from Ankpa in Kogi State to Makurdi, was also attacked at the same location, and eight passengers were abducted.

“Three passengers were left behind in the first vehicle. The driver, along with them, reported the matter to the police station in Naka but has not been heard from since,” Onu added.

The traditional ruler of Naka, HRH Daniel Abomtse, also confirmed the incident, saying that an elderly woman, a nursing mother, some children, and a driver were spared by the abductors.

He noted that the attack happened in Okpa, a border area between Gwer West and Adoka, which he described as an “ungoverned space” now serving as a refuge for criminals.

The monarch appealed to the Federal Government to conduct aerial surveillance of the coastal regions between Benue and Nasarawa states to curb criminal activities in those unmonitored zones.

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