Parents of abducted Benue passengers accuse security agents of complicity, demand investigation

Parents of the 12 Benue Links passengers abducted by gunmen at Eke, in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, have called for a thorough investigation into the role of security personnel stationed at the Eke checkpoint during the attack.

The demand comes amid growing outrage over what the parents described as “visible negligence” and “false claims” by law enforcement agencies regarding the incident.

Speaking anonymously to journalists in Makurdi, a father of one of the victims alleged that soldiers were present during the abduction but failed to intervene.

“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,” he said.

According to him, when the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) later visited the scene, the soldiers allegedly misled him by giving incorrect directions, derailing the police pursuit.

“Let the government fish out those who were on duty that day,” he insisted, urging accountability and transparency in the investigation.

The parents also challenged the police narrative that the victims were rescued through an operation, claiming instead that ransom payments secured their release.

“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,” the father said in frustration.

Victim recounts harrowing ordeal

One of the abducted passengers, a female survivor, shared a chilling account of the attack, which occurred at exactly 6:33 p.m. after their vehicle approached the Eke checkpoint manned by uniformed personnel.

“Gunshots rang out from both front and rear, forcing our vehicle to stop,” she recalled.

She said three armed men emerged and marched them off the road into the bush, where they were forced to trek nearly nine kilometres deep into the forest.

“We were hidden under rocks and moved frequently when they heard gunshots,” she said. “They tied up the men, and one of them was macheted and suffered a deep cut on his forehead.”

According to her, the kidnappers began demanding ransom the following day. After a victim’s family paid, the abductors abandoned the passengers in the forest.

Exhausted and disoriented, the group eventually stumbled upon a house whose occupant alerted local vigilantes, who then assisted them to the Ugbokolo Police Station.

Growing concerns

This incident has raised serious questions about the conduct and accountability of security forces in areas plagued by rising kidnappings and banditry. Critics argue that military and police inaction, along with misleading public statements, further erode trust in law enforcement.

As pressure mounts, families and civil society groups are expected to push for a formal inquiry to determine whether any form of complicity or dereliction of duty occurred during the abduction.