At least 14 passengers were reportedly abducted on Thursday by gunmen along the Makurdi–Naka–Adoka road in Benue State.
The attack occurred between 10 and 11 a.m., roughly three kilometers from Naka, the headquarters of Gwer West Local Government Area. The victims were travelling in two commercial vehicles—a Toyota Picnic and a Sharon bus—each carrying multiple passengers.
A commercial driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the vehicles were ambushed by armed men while en route. One of the buses had departed from Makurdi, heading towards Lokoja, while the other was coming from Ankpa, Kogi State, to Makurdi.
Confirming the incident in a phone conversation, the Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), High-Level Unit, Makurdi, Mr. Yakubu Onu, said both vehicles belonged to their members.
He explained that the first bus, carrying nine passengers, was ambushed near Naka, with six passengers taken into the bush by the gunmen.
The second vehicle, coming from Ankpa, was attacked in the same area, and eight passengers were abducted.
According to Onu, three passengers from the first vehicle were left behind.
The driver, along with those spared, reported the incident at the Naka Police Station. However, there has been no further communication from him since he was asked to continue his journey.
The traditional ruler of Naka, His Royal Highness Daniel Abomtse, also confirmed the incident.
He said some passengers, including an elderly woman, a breastfeeding mother, and a few children, were released by the abductors.
The monarch identified the location of the ambush as Okpa, a border area between Gwer West and Adoka, describing it as an ungoverned territory that has become a hideout for criminals.
He called on the Federal Government to conduct aerial surveillance in the coastal zones of Benue and Nasarawa states to flush out criminal elements.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, SP Catherine Anene, said she had not received any report on the abduction.
