Benue: Makurdi residents protest as gunmen allegedly kidnap 18 mourners

Residents of Tyomu community in Makurdi Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State on Tuesday blocked the Makurdi/Gboko Road to protest against the kidnapping of 18 mourners, most of them women.

Our correspondent gathered that the mourners were abducted last Friday evening, 25 September 2026, immediately after Adoka along the Makurdi-Naka-Adoka-Ankpa Road while they were travelling to Kogi State for a burial ceremony.

Sources told newsmen that the kidnappers contacted family members demanding N30 million as ransom. It was said that the community, after tasking themselves, were able to raise and pay N3 million. But after paying the ransom, the kidnappers still denied the victims freedom.

Worried by the development, community members blocked the road, demanding action from government officials to locate and free their relatives.

The protesters were seen wielding fresh palm fronds and chanting songs in their native language while their activities caused a traffic jam along the road, keeping motorists stranded for hours.

Speaking to our correspondent in Makurdi, the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, confirmed receiving the report of the kidnapping incident, but noted that he was yet to ascertain the exact number of people involved.

He said: “The incident actually happened. As I speak to you now, I have reported it to the relevant security agencies, who are also working on it. We located the place, the DPO of Adoka and the security operatives in surrounding areas are working tirelessly to see how they can get to the location.”

He however noted the challenge with kidnapping, saying: “The worst thing about kidnapping is that the location from which the kidnappers make their calls is usually different from where the victims are actually being kept. So, it is not as straightforward as people may think.”

“It is therefore a challenge for security agencies to navigate and identify the exact location. But we are careful when handling these matters. We are working on this particular case, and I do not hide information from the families of the victims. I keep them informed about how far we have gone, where we are and what the next steps are.”

He however advised residents to stop travelling at night in order not to fall victim. He said: “First of all, travelling to Kogi State at night is a concern. How can people be travelling to Kogi State at night especially when everybody is aware of how dangerous the situation along that route is? This is not correct, we should not be putting people under pressure,” he said.

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, has also confirmed the incident and called for calm as the state government is working to remedy the situation.

Iorpev, in a phone conversation, narrated: “Some women from Tyomu, a community after the Air Force Base, hired Ejifa Travel Services to transport them for a burial, an arrangement they usually make, to and fro, while travelling for such occasions.

“So, around Ankpa, they were kidnapped.

“The position of the Commissioner of Police is that the company did not report the incident to the police. It was the protest by the affected people that eventually brought the matter to the attention of the Commissioner of Police.”

He however stated that the Commissioner of Police is out, at the time of filing this report, to liaise with the transport company and the families of the affected persons to see how they can begin tracing the kidnapped victims.

He urged transport companies in the state to be proactive in passing such sensitive information, saying: “If your company is involved in an incident or something goes wrong, the people concerned should be informed and the appropriate authorities should be notified. That way, everyone knows what is happening and the necessary steps can be taken.

“However, now that we are aware of what is going on, the Commissioner of Police will lead his team to see what can be done to resolve the matter in the shortest possible time.

“So we are calling for calm, the government will do something as soon as possible,” Iorpev said.