The Benue State Police Command says it successfully rescued 19 passengers abducted by suspected armed bandits along the Ohimini–Otukpo Road in Ohimini Local Government Area on Sunday, December 22, without payment of ransom. Authorities confirm that one victim remains in captivity.

The ambush occurred in the early hours when gunmen blocked two commercial vehicles at Mechanic Village on the Ohimini–Otukpo axis. A Toyota Hiace bus traveling from Oju to Ibadan with nine passengers and a Toyota Hummer bus operated by Plateau Riders Company en route from Jos to Bayelsa with 11 passengers, driven by Igoche John, were intercepted and their occupants taken into the bush.

Police received distress reports around 2:00 a.m. and swiftly mobilized patrol teams and tactical units to comb the surrounding areas. The heavy security presence forced the bandits to abandon the hostages unharmed. The 19 rescued victims were debriefed and allowed to continue their journeys.

One passenger, Boniface Ndukwe from Jos, Plateau State, remains missing. Police confirmed ongoing operations to secure his release and apprehend the suspects.

Benue has witnessed a surge in highway abductions amid broader insecurity in north-central Nigeria, with authorities attributing many incidents to herder-farmer clashes and banditry.