Six mourners travelling from Kano to Okpoga in Benue State to bury a deceased woman have been abducted by suspected kidnappers along the notorious Adoka Road.
According to local sources, the victims left Kano on Friday with the woman's body for burial in Okpoga, the headquarters of Okpokwu Local Government Area. However, armed men reportedly intercepted their vehicle at about 8 p.m., kidnapped all six occupants, and left the corpse behind on the roadside.
A social media user who drew attention to the incident said the deceased woman's husband and five friends were travelling with the body when they were seized by the gunmen.
"The kidnappers abandoned the corpse and took the six occupants into the bush," the source said. "Since Friday, they have remained in captivity, and the abductors are demanding a ransom of N15 million."
The source added that officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps reportedly discovered the abandoned body on Saturday and took it to a police station in Adoka before it was later deposited in a mortuary.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, described the development as traumatic and revealed that one of the kidnapped victims, the driver, is a personal friend.
"The kidnappers are demanding N15 million, but security agencies are working to track them," Ogiri said. "Local vigilantes and youths are also supporting efforts to secure the victims' release."
The Benue State Police Command also confirmed the abduction. Police spokesperson DSP Peter Aondona said the incident occurred on Friday and assured that security operatives were working to rescue the victims.
The Otukpo-Adoka and Ohimini corridors have witnessed a surge in kidnapping cases in recent months. In October, gunmen abducted Catholic priest Rev. Fr. John Otache and seven others along the Ugbokolo-Ajegbe-Awume Road in Ohimini Local Government Area. Earlier in August, 14 passengers travelling to Abuja were also kidnapped along the Otukpo-Adoka Road.
Security efforts to rescue the six abducted mourners remain ongoing.
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