Tension has gripped the Owukpa community in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State following the abduction of 14 passengers traveling in a Benue Links vehicle over the weekend. The kidnappers, believed to be armed herdsmen, are now demanding a ransom of N1 million per person, totaling N14 million, for the release of the victims.
According to Hobnob News, the victims — mostly women returning from the Orba market in Enugu State — were kidnapped near Eyiupi community on Saturday, June 1st, around 7:00 p.m. The vehicle was en route to Owukpa when it was ambushed by the gunmen, who forcibly took all 14 passengers into the surrounding bush.
In response to the growing insecurity and apparent government inaction, hundreds of angry youths from Owukpa took to the streets on Monday in a peaceful protest. The demonstrators blocked the Orokam-Owukpa-Okpoga road, demanding swift intervention from both state and federal authorities.
“We have nothing to do. The kidnappers have now demanded N1 million each for our 14 people,” a youth leader told Hobnob News during the protest. “We came out for a peaceful protest, but our traditional rulers have sold us out.”
The youth also announced plans to take security into their own hands, vowing to repair the dilapidated section of the road and clear the overgrown bushes along the route — areas they say are routinely used by criminals to launch ambushes.
Even more alarming was a claim made by the protesters that when local youths approached the police for assistance, officers reportedly said they lacked ammunition to carry out any rescue operation. “The police told us they don’t have bullets to confront the kidnappers,” another protester lamented.
As of the time of filing this report, no security operatives — state or federal — had been deployed to the affected area, and the abducted passengers remain in captivity.
The incident is the latest in a string of violent abductions and rising insecurity across Benue State, particularly along rural and poorly maintained routes. Community members are now calling for urgent government action to rescue the captives, secure the roads, and restore confidence among the people.
