The Benue State Police Command has confirmed that suspected gunmen kidnapped 15 people on the Makurdi–Otukpo highway.
Sources say that the attack happened on April 15, 2026, at about 8:30 p.m., when Peter Ikwe, a Benue Links driver, told the Divisional Police Officer in Otukpo about it.
Reports say that the driver of a Toyota Hiace bus with the license plate number BGT 224 SA was on his way from Makurdi to Otukpo when the vehicle was attacked near the Operation Whirl Stroke barracks. There were 18 passengers on board at the time.
Sources said that the attackers blocked the highway and pulled 15 passengers into the nearby bush, while a few others were able to get away.
After getting the distress call, the DPO quickly sent patrol and tactical teams to the scene. At the same time, joint security forces started searching nearby bushes for the victims and the kidnappers.
The police command also said that its Anti-Kidnapping Unit is looking into the attack in full.
It promised that more information would be made available as the rescue mission went on.
