Kidnappers Abduct Husband, 5 Mourners Carrying Wife’s Body to Benue Burial

A husband and five other mourners have been kidnapped while transporting the remains of his late wife to Benue State for burial, in a tragic incident that left the deceased woman’s body abandoned on a highway.

The incident occurred at about 8 p.m. on Friday, October 30, along Adoka Road in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

Reports indicate that the woman died in Kano, and her husband, alongside five other mourners, was conveying her remains to Okpoga in Okpokwu Local Government Area for burial when armed men intercepted their vehicle.

The attackers reportedly abducted all six occupants and took them into the bush, leaving the deceased woman’s body on the roadside.

The remains were later discovered on Saturday by officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who moved the body to the police station in Adoka before it was transferred to a morgue.

Confirming the incident, Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, said the kidnappers had demanded ₦15 million ransom for the release of the six victims.

Ogiri disclosed that security operatives, local vigilantes and youths had launched a search operation to track down the abductors and secure the safe release of the victims.

The incident has renewed concerns over the safety of travellers on Benue roads, as communities continue to face threats from criminal activities.

Residents have called for improved security presence along highways to protect commuters and prevent similar attacks.

The whereabouts of the six abducted mourners remained unknown as rescue efforts continued.