Benue Police Command has arrested seven suspects linked to the Otukpo abduction of passengers and rescued some victims after a joint security operation in Amla Forest and nearby areas.
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested seven suspects over their alleged involvement in the April 15 abduction of passengers in Otukpo. The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Edet Udeme, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Makurdi on Saturday.
According to the statement, the suspects were apprehended during a coordinated joint security operation involving the police and other security agencies. The mission focused on search-and-rescue efforts in Amla Forest and surrounding communities.
Police said the operation also led to the rescue of some abducted victims, who are currently receiving medical attention. However, authorities did not disclose the exact number of those rescued.
“Further intelligence gathered in the course of the operation led to the arrest of seven suspects, who are currently in police custody while investigation is ongoing,” the statement said.
The Command also dismissed reports circulating in parts of the media claiming that the victims were students travelling to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
Police clarified that the abducted persons were not members of any organised UTME-bound convoy, but passengers travelling in a Makurdi-bound commercial bus.
The Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, assured residents that security agencies were intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims and track down other suspects.
The Command also urged members of the public to continue supporting ongoing operations by providing credible and timely information.
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