A journey that should have been a routine transit for students and travellers turned into a nightmare on Wednesday night, leading to the arrest of a Benue Links Nigeria Limited driver whose defiance of company policy landed his passengers in the hands of kidnappers.
The transport company confirmed on Friday that the driver is now in police custody following the abduction of several passengers, including candidates scheduled to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The attack occurred at Ikobi along the notorious Makurdi–Otukpo road.
According to Johnson Ehi Daniel, the company’s Information Officer, the driver deliberately bypassed safety protocols by embarking on the night journey without authorisation, documentation, or any official record of the trip. While two victims managed a harrowing escape from the gunmen, thirteen others remain in captivity.
The General Manager of Benue Links, Alexander Aondohemba Fanafa, expressed deep distress over the incident, noting that the bus was never cleared for travel at that hour.
He emphasised that the driver’s decision to ignore company policy directly exposed the victims to the ambush.
Efforts to recover the missing passengers are currently the top priority for state authorities.
Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, is personally overseeing the tactical operations.
Management has assured the public that they are working in close coordination with security agencies to ensure the safe return of the students and other travellers still held by their captors. #Securitynewsalert.com
