Gunmen have once again hijacked a Benue Links bus, abducting 10 passengers, including the driver, along the Owukpa-Orokam road in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State. The incident reportedly occurred around 7 pm on Saturday, marking a recurrence of such attacks on the state-owned transport company’s vehicles.

This recent hijacking comes nearly two months after a similar incident on April 3 of this year, when gunmen attacked a Benue Links bus in Ikobi, Otukpo Local Government Area. In that attack, the driver and two passengers were killed, and 14 others were abducted.

According to Grace, a resident of the Owukpa community who spoke to journalists in Makurdi, the victims of the latest incident were returning from Orba market in Enugu State to Owukpa in Benue State when they were ambushed. She narrated that the attackers shot the driver and a passenger, causing the vehicle to veer off the road. One female passenger reportedly managed to escape, while the remaining passengers, including women nursing infants, were taken captive. Grace also mentioned that one male victim was left behind by the kidnappers because he was bleeding heavily from gunshot wounds, which the abductors feared might compromise their location.

The injured victim is reportedly receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of St. Mary’s Hospital in Okpoga, Okpokwu Local Government Area, as stated by local residents.

Amos Agada, the leader of the Owukpa vigilante group, confirmed the hijacking. He noted that as of Sunday morning, June 1, the kidnappers had not yet made contact with the families of the victims. Agada assured that local security groups were actively working towards rescuing the abducted passengers.

Adikwu Daniel, a community leader, has urged the Ogbadibo council chairman and relevant security agencies to take swift action. He emphasized the urgent need for a sustained security presence along the Owukpa-Orokam route, which he described as an increasingly dangerous area. "The area has long been a danger zone, and no serious security network is in place to prevent or reduce these attacks," Daniel warned.

When contacted for comments, Ehi Johnson, the Public Relations Officer of Benue Links Transport Company, stated that he could not comment on the incident at the time but promised to provide updates later. Meanwhile, efforts to reach the new Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to her mobile phone went unanswered at the time of reporting.