By National Record
ALTHOUGH the 12 Benue Links passengers who were abducted last week along Otukpo-Enugu highway in Eke in Okpokwu LGA have regained their freedom, their rescue is however trailed by anger and suspicion, especially from families, over the alleged role of security personnel stationed at the checkpoint where the attack occurred.
Speaking to journalists in Makurdi on Monday, father of one of the victims, who pleaded anonymity, called on the government to investigate the soldiers and other security personnel posted to the Eke checkpoint at the time of the incident.
His frustration is rooted in what he described as “visible negligence” and “false claims” by the police after his family paid a ransom to secure the victims’ release.
“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.
He added: “Later, when the DPO went there to ask the soldiers for the direction the kidnappers went, they gave him the wrong one, sending police on a fruitless chase. Let the government fish out those who were on duty that day.”
He also criticised the police for announcing that they had rescued the victims when, according to him, no such operation was carried out.
“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 added.
A female victim, who recounted her ordeal, said the attack happened at exactly 6:33pm after they had approached the Eke checkpoint where uniformed personnel were stationed. She said gunshots rang out from both rear and front, forcing the vehicle to stop.
According to the victim, the abductors, three in number, marched them from the highway into the bush where the trekked nearly nine kilometres farther in the bush, where they were hidden under rocks and frequently relocated each time they heard gunshots.
“They tied the men and macheted one of them with a deep cut on the forehead. The next day, when we began hearing motorcycles and voices, the abductors started demanding ransom and hid us under rocks,” she said.
After ransom was delivered, reportedly by a victim’s family, the kidnappers abandoned the group in the bush. Stranded and exhausted, the victims were alleged to have wandered until they stumbled on a nearby house, whose resident alerted volunteer guards that came to evacuate them to the Ugbokolo Police Station.
Benue Links speaks
The General Manager of Benue Links, Comrade Alexander Fanafa, who received the victims in Makurdi, confirmed that the transport company was first informed of the release by local volunteer guards.
“The victims said they were shown a path out of the bush by the kidnappers. They later found a house, and the person there called the guards to come assist. That’s how they got to Ugbokolo station. That’s the most reliable account I have,” Fanafa told journalists.
He reiterated that the company, being government-owned, did not and could not pay ransom, suggesting that families may have handled negotiations privately.
“We don’t pay ransom. It would only legitimise and encourage criminals. Any payment that happened must have been by the victims’ relatives,” Fanafa said, as he criticised the circulation of narratives suggesting Benue Links is being singled out for attacks.
He cited recent cases where multiple commercial vehicles were targeted along the same route but only Benue Links made the headlines.
“Three other vehicles were stopped before our bus arrived. Our driver wasn’t aware, he tried to negotiate, and was shot. The attacks are not exclusive to Benue Links. But because of our name, every incident becomes viral,” Fanafa recalled a past incident.
He accused unnamed individuals of spreading doctored videos and negative campaigns online to dent the reputation of the company, especially since it reduced transport fares across key routes.
“There are people who feel threatened by the affordable services we now offer. That’s why they’re creating panic and fake narratives,” Fanafa said, as he acknowledged public concern about security on the road and insisted that vehicles belonging to the company are no longer permitted to operate beyond 6pm without official escort. He, however, declined to disclose specific safety strategies.
“Whatever we are doing in collaboration with security agencies remains confidential. You don’t expose your inner security details on a public stage,” he said.
Despite the tension, Fanafa restated that Benue Links will not backdown in the face of threats or sabotage.
“We will not be intimidated off the road. Our goal remains clear; to offer safe, affordable transport to the good people of Benue and beyond,” he stated.
The victims’ release may have ended their physical captivity, but the unanswered questions about how such an abduction could occur in the presence of armed security officers and the apparent distortion of facts by authorities are unlikely to go away soon.
