Benue women protest after 18 residents are kidnapped

Several women from Tyomu community in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State protested on Tuesday. They gathered on the Makurdi/Gboko highway to demand the release of 18 people abducted from their community.

The women blocked the highway, urging the state government to take action and ensure the safe return of their community members.

Among the 18 kidnapped, eight are women. They were taken on Friday along Adoka-Ankpa road while heading to Kogi State for a burial.

One protester, who gave her name as Doshima, shared, "Last Friday, some residents of this community hired a vehicle to attend a burial ceremony in Kogi State. The vehicle was attacked, and all 18 passengers, including eight women, were taken away."

She added, "The abductors have called the relatives of some victims and demanded N30 million. The residents managed to raise and pay N3 million, but the victims are still not released."

Joseph Har, the security adviser to the governor on Internal Affairs, confirmed the incident. He said the exact number of kidnapped people is still unknown. He mentioned that the incident has been reported to the relevant security agencies, who are already on the case.

He stated, "I got the report of the kidnapping incident, but I am yet to know the exact number of people involved. Traveling to Kogi State at night is a concern. It is known that this route is dangerous. So, this is not right; we should not put people under pressure."

Har continued, "We located the area. The DPO of Adoka and security guards in nearby areas are working hard to find the location. The worst part about kidnappings is that the place where the kidnappers call from is often different from where the victims are kept. So, it is not as simple as people may think."

He also mentioned, "You cannot just storm a location. If there is collateral damage while chasing the kidnappers, we may hurt the victims. We must be careful when handling these cases. We are working on this specific case, and I inform the families of the victims about our progress. I understand they went to the road to block it."

The State Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Solomon Iorpev, criticized the transport company for not reporting the incident to the security agencies. Iorpev said the police only found out through the protest.

He explained, "The Commissioner of Police told me that the company did not report the incident. Normally, the company should immediately inform security agencies when something like this happens. The protest by affected people brought the matter to the Commissioner of Police's attention."

Iorpev mentioned, "The Commissioner of Police is now working with the transport company and the families to trace the kidnapped victims. I advise transport companies to always notify security agencies and families for a quick response."

He added, "Now, families are protesting and asking the government for help, but the proper way to report this would have been to the police, especially the Commissioner of Police. I have not been informed about the incident, which is unfortunate. We regret what happened."

The Information Commissioner assured that the Commissioner of Police would lead efforts to resolve the matter quickly. He said, "We are calling for calm. The government will act as soon as possible."

Police spokesperson Peter Aondongu told our correspondent by phone that the command did not receive any formal report about the kidnapping. He said police patrolling the area over the weekend noticed an abandoned vehicle and suspected something might have happened to the occupants.

Aondongu said the police cannot confirm the number of victims until more details are available. He assured that the police have calmed the situation at Tyomu and cleared the road for motorists and other road users. He added that businesses in the area can now resume operations.

He appealed to the protesting community for patience as security operatives work to rescue the victims.