Benue: Man Who Was Kidnapped While Carrying Wife's Corpse is Free Again

A grieving husband and five others carrying his wife's body from Kano State to her hometown in Okpoga, Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, have been freed after armed men kidnapped them along Adoka Road in Otukpo LGA.

Sources say the victims were released on Tuesday night after their family paid a ransom of N2.5 million to their captors.

Witnesses said the group was taken on Friday around 8pm while returning from Kano. They were close to their destination, just about an hour's drive from where the attack happened.

Maxwell Ogiri, the chairman of Otukpo LGA, confirmed the victims' release late Tuesday into early Wednesday. He spoke with reporters in Makurdi on Wednesday via phone, stating that all six victims were free but did not share more details.

Meddy Olotu, an Idoma community social media influencer, reported that the victims were set free around 11pm on Tuesday after a ransom of N2.5 million was paid. This was much lower than the original demand of N15 million for their release.

Olotu explained, "N2.5 million was paid along with 10 plates of food given to the kidnappers before the man who took his wife’s corpse from Kano to Benue was released with his five friends.

“The guys in the bush said they were hungry, so they wanted both the money and 10 plates of food."

As of the time this report was filed, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue command, DSP Peter Aondongu, had not confirmed the incident. He was attending an event outside the state capital.