‘They Watched and Did Nothing’: Parents Blame Soldiers for Benue Passenger Abduction, Dismiss Police Rescue Claims

Parents of the 12 passengers abducted from a Benue Links vehicle in Eke, Okpokwu Local Government Area, have accused soldiers of standing by while the kidnappers carried out the attack. They are calling for a thorough investigation into the role of security personnel stationed at the Eke checkpoint during the abduction.

Speaking anonymously to journalists in Makurdi, one parent alleged that soldiers present during the kidnapping failed to intervene and later misled police officers who arrived at the scene. He said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was given false directions by the soldiers, sending the search team on a futile trail. “My daughter said soldiers were right there when they were kidnapped but did nothing. They just watched as the kidnappers took them into the bush,” the parent said. “When the DPO asked which way they went, the soldiers gave him the wrong direction.”

He further challenged the police’s claim that the victims were rescued during an operation, stating that the hostages were only released after ransom was paid. “I was still in Ugbokolo, not even out of town after paying the ransom, and the police were already on air claiming they rescued them,” he said.

A female victim of the abduction recounted the terrifying moment the attack occurred. According to her, it happened at 6:33 pm, just as their vehicle approached the Eke checkpoint, where uniformed security personnel were visible. Gunshots were fired from both the front and rear, forcing the bus to stop. The three gunmen then marched the passengers into the forest, making them trek for nearly nine kilometres. “We were hidden under rocks and frequently relocated each time they heard gunshots,” she said.

She described how the male hostages were tied up and one was severely injured with a machete. The next day, as sounds of motorcycles and voices grew nearer, the kidnappers began demanding ransom. Eventually, after payment was reportedly made by a victim’s family, the abductors abandoned the passengers in the bush. Stranded and exhausted, the group wandered until they came across a house, where a resident contacted local volunteer guards. The guards assisted in evacuating the victims to the Ugbokolo Police Station.