Metro
Benue driver narrates how gunmen intercepted vehicle, abducted 6 passengers
By Aboje Anefu, Makurdi
A driver of Benue State Transport Company, popularly known as Benue Links, Emmanuel Owoicho, on Thursday narrated how gunmen suspected to be kidnappers intercepted his Lagos bound vehicle and abducted six travellers.
Among those abducted, according to the driver were three men and three women, which included a pregnant woman and an orphan.
Owoicho who spoke to newsmen on phone said that the incident happened on Saturday while on his way to Lagos with 13 passengers.
His words: “I had left Gboko around 10am that Saturday and got to Ochaja junction near Ayingba in Kogi State around 4pm. I picked 13 passengers from Gboko on that day and they kidnapped six, they collected the sum of 42, 000 naira from me.
“They collected our money, phones, everything we had they collected. Then they asked us to lie on the road but on sighting a trailer on high speed approaching, their leader asked us to get up and stay by the roadside. He now asked six persons to follow him, three men and three women into the bush.
“It was after this that I called back my passengers and we got to a Naval Check point and reported the incident to them. They and some vigilante asked me to take them to the spot of the incident, after about 30 to 40 minutes of search, they came back to say they could not find the kidnappers.
The driver continued: “The next day Sunday, I went to the Police Station in Ayingba to formally report the incident and they instructed me to go. I then took the remaining passengers and returned to Gboko.
“Now they are demanding N10 million as ransom from those kidnapped but their families are negotiating between 750,000 and 450,000. There is an orphan girl whose family said they only have N80,000.
“Among those kidnapped is a pregnant woman. I feel sad and pray that they are all released.”
Efforts to get the management of the company to react to the development proved abortive as the Public Relations Officer, PRO of the company, Martina Iorchir said she was not aware of it.
Contact: info@royalnews.com.ng