The Benue State Police Command has rescued 13 passengers recently abducted along the Otukpo–Adoka Road in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.
According to Naija News, the victims were travelling from Enugu to Abuja when they were kidnapped between Ankpechi and Omutele villages along the highway.
The latest operation brought the total number of passengers rescued from the incident to 18.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the 13 victims were rescued at about 2:00 a.m. on Thursday inside the Amla-Icho Forest in Otukpo Local Government Area.
Aondongu explained that the rescue followed five days of sustained search operations carried out by police personnel and local security operatives.
Acting on credible intelligence, the joint team reportedly entered the forest at night and engaged the kidnappers.
The suspects were said to have fled under the cover of darkness, abandoning their captives, who were rescued without injuries.
The police spokesperson said the operation followed an earlier confrontation with the suspected kidnappers on August 16, during which one of the assailants was neutralised.
An AK-47 rifle and five rounds of live ammunition were reportedly recovered during the earlier operation.
Security operatives have continued efforts to track and arrest the fleeing suspects.
Aondongu also explained that the latest rescue exposed inconsistencies in the initial account concerning the number of people still in captivity.
The preliminary passenger record had indicated that nine victims remained after five people were rescued earlier. Further verification, however, revealed that four additional passengers had not been included in the original record, raising the number rescued during the latest operation to 13.
Following their rescue, the passengers were taken to a medical facility for examination and treatment.
They were subsequently transported to their respective destinations in a chartered bus provided by the authorities.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the officers and local security personnel involved in the operation for their resilience and commitment.
He assured residents that the Command would continue operations aimed at apprehending the remaining suspects and dismantling kidnapping networks operating across the state.
