Police Rescues 12 Kidnapped Passengers, 4 Still Missing in Kogi

Ibrahim Oyewale Lokoja

The Kogi State Police Command has disclosed that its operatives have rescued 12 abducted passengers while four other passengers had not been rescued in eastern senatorial district of the state.

The victims were said to be kidnapped along Itobe -Anyingba Highway on Wednesday en route Makurdi in Benue State.

In a press statement signed by the state’s Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), SP. William Aya, confirmed that the hoodlums abducted Benue bound passengers on Itobe -Ayingba Road.

Aya explained that the command received a report on Wednesday 6April 6, 2022, that one Toyota bus with Registration Number Benue 192 XA driven by one Mr. Benard Ejeh, conveying 16 passengers from Abuja heading to Benue State via Ankpa ran into kidnappers at Ojuwo-Ajebgo village of Ofu Local Government Area along Anyigba Road.

According to him, immediately the operatives of Quick Response Unit stationed at Itobe promptly swung into action, pursued the hoodlums into the bush and rescued 12 passengers including the driver while 4 other passengers are yet to be seen.

The Commissioner of Police, CP. Edward Egbuka, who was on a visiting tour at Kogi East Senatorial Zone, got the information while he was on his way to Ejule and immediately moved to the scene to meet with the rescued passengers and ordered that they should be moved to Itobe Division for debriefing.

Egbuka immediately deployed tactical team to the area to continue trailing the hoodlums with a view to rescuing other victims.

He urged members of the public, particularly social media handlers, to always verify facts of incidents from the police before publishing stories to guard against misinforming the general public.