MAKURDI, Nigeria (FN), Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) have rescued 13 passengers abducted from a Benue Links commercial bus along the Makurdi–Otukpo road, officials said Sunday.
The victims were among 17 passengers kidnapped last Wednesday while traveling from Makurdi to Otukpo in Benue State, according to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region. Four passengers remain missing.
Security sources said the rescue operation was carried out after troops tracked the kidnappers to their hideout. The abductees were freed unharmed and have since been reunited with their families. Authorities did not immediately confirm whether arrests were made.
Benue State has witnessed a surge in highway abductions in recent years, with criminal gangs targeting commercial buses and private vehicles. In 2023, dozens of passengers were taken in similar attacks along the Makurdi–Naka and Otukpo–Enugu roads, prompting increased military patrols.
Nigeria has struggled with widespread insecurity, including banditry, insurgency, and communal clashes. The federal government launched Operation Whirl Stroke in 2018 to combat armed groups across Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba states. While the operation has recorded successes, sporadic kidnappings continue to threaten travelers in the region.
Officials urged commuters to remain vigilant and assured that security forces are intensifying efforts to dismantle kidnapping networks operating along major highways.
