The Benue State Police Command has rescued the remaining 13 passengers abducted along the Otukpo–Adoka Road on August 14, 2026, while travelling from Enugu to Abuja.
The rescue was carried out in the early hours of Thursday, August 20, 2026, following about five days of sustained search and rescue operations by police operatives in collaboration with local security personnel.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu on Friday, the breakthrough came after operatives, acting on credible intelligence, stormed Amla-Icho forest in Otukpo Local Government Area at about 2:00 a.m when team encountered the kidnappers and the victims during the night operation.
It states that, although the suspects escaped under the cover of darkness, all 13 victims were rescued unhurt and were later taken to a medical facility for check-ups and subsequently transported to their destinations in a chartered bus.
The Command disclosed that this latest rescue brings to 18 the total number of victims freed from that incident as five victims had earlier been rescued shortly after the abduction.
The statement also revealed that during continued operations on August 16, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m., police operatives engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle and one suspect was neutralized and an AK-47 rifle with five rounds of live ammunition were recovered.
The Command noted that discrepancies in the initial passenger manifest complicated the rescue. It said, while the first manifest indicated that nine victims remained, further verification showed that four additional passengers were not listed, bringing the number rescued in the latest operation to 13.
The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the operatives for their courage and resilience. He assured residents that the Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, remains committed to protecting lives and property and will sustain intelligence-led operations to track down the fleeing suspects.
CP Nwadiogbu also urged transport operators to maintain accurate and complete passenger manifests for every trip, stressing that proper documentation is critical for timely identification and rescue during emergencies.
He further called on members of the public, especially in affected communities, to remain vigilant and provide credible information that will aid in apprehending the suspects and preventing future incidents.
