In a dramatic end to a three-day hostage crisis, combined security operatives have successfully rescued the remaining 13 passengers abducted from a Benue Links transport vehicle on Wednesday night.
The state’s Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed the development to our correspondent in a text message early Sunday morning.
“Yes we’re planning a news conference this morning when they arrive Makurdi. Good morning please,” CP Emenari said.
The rescue comes barely 48 hours after the police chief had announced that five victims were earlier freed, leaving 13 others in the kidnappers’ den.
Gunmen had on Wednesday night intercepted the state-owned transport vehicle along the Makurdi-Otukpo road, abducting several passengers—including young men and women who were travelling to sit for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Otukpo.
While the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) issued a statement on Saturday denying that any of its candidates were among the victims, a relative of one of the abducted passengers had dismissed the claim as “disturbing and dismissive.”
“My nephew was on that bus, and he was heading to Otukpo for his JAMB examination. In fact, most of the passengers were candidates. Only a few were not going for the exam,” the relative, who pleaded anonymity, told journalists in Makurdi late Saturday.
The CP assured that the rescued victims would be brought to the state capital, Makurdi, for medical checks and debriefing, after which a formal news conference would be held.
Details of the operation remain sketchy, but security sources hinted that no ransom was paid, and that the rescue was achieved through coordinated ground assaults on the kidnappers’ hideout.
More details to follow.
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