Kidnappers hijack vehicle conveying corpse in Benue

Six persons travelling along Adoka-Otukpo Road in Benue State have reportedly been abducted by gunmen who abandoned the corpse of a woman in their vehicle.

The victims were said to be travelling from Kano to Okpoga, in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, with the corpse of the woman, who was being taken home for burial.

The incident reportedly occurred at about 8:00 p.m. on Friday, when the travellers were intercepted by the kidnappers around Adoka Road.

The abductors allegedly whisked away the six occupants, leaving the woman’s corpse in the vehicle.

An activist and citizen journalist, Meddy Olotu, disclosed the incident in a video shared on social media, calling on security agencies and other relevant authorities to urgently intervene.

Olotu said family members lost contact with the travellers after they arrived in Adoka on Friday night.

He added that operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, discovered the corpse the following morning and took it to the police station in Adoka, before it was deposited in a mortuary.

According to him, the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N15 million for the release of the six abducted persons, who were still being held in captivity as of Monday.

“Last night, I spoke with one of the family members, who said the kidnappers had been calling. Fortunately, he understands Hausa and has been able to communicate with them,” Olotu said.

He lamented that the family, already mourning the death of the woman, was now faced with the burden of raising the ransom demanded by the abductors.

Olotu appealed to the authorities to take urgent steps to secure the release of the victims and enable the family to take the woman’s remains home for burial.

Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Orchia Peter Aondong, for confirmation and comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.