Suspected kidnappers have invaded Ingle Otanufe community in the Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, abducting five people, including a woman.
The victims were said to have been abducted on Wednesday from different locations by the gunmen.
An indigene of Ingle and National President of the Edumoga Youth Association, Lucky Itodo, said three people, John Matthew, Simon Okpe and Michael Adah, were abducted from Otanufe, while a man and his wife, John Boniface and John Faith, were kidnapped from Efonugu.
The abductors, according to Itodo, later contacted Godwin Adah, whose brother, Michael Adah, was among those held captive by the gunmen.
The hoodlums were said to have demanded N10m for the victims.
Itodo said, “Yes, they initially demanded the payment of N10m to set them free but the abductors later cut down the ransom to N5m, which the families are still unable to pay.”
He noted that the gunmen were threatening to “waste the lives of their victims if the ransom is not paid on time.”
The youth leader called on government at all levels, as well as privileged individuals, to come to the aid of the abducted persons.
He said the victims were peasant farmers going about their routine task of sourcing food for consumption.
