Gunmen who abducted a family travelling along the Otukpo–Ogobia Road in Benue State have released the driver, the corpse of an elderly woman and one of her children, while holding two others hostage and demanding a N30 million ransom.
The victims were reportedly kidnapped after their vehicle developed a fault while they were travelling from Abuja to Oklenyi, in Okpokwu Local Government Area of the state, for the burial of their late mother.
According to family sources, the armed men later freed the driver, released one of the siblings and handed over the remains of the deceased woman.
The woman’s body has since been taken to Okpoga, where burial arrangements are ongoing.
However, two of her children remain in captivity as the kidnappers have reportedly contacted the family and demanded N30 million for their release.
Relatives of the victims are said to be making efforts to raise the ransom while appealing to security agencies to intensify operations aimed at rescuing the captives.
The partial release has brought mixed emotions to the family, who expressed relief over recovering the remains of their mother but remain anxious about the safety of the two siblings still being held.
The Benue State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident as of the time of filing this report.
Samuel Agada is a writer and media contributor from Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. He is a graduate of Biochemistry from the University of Jos and a former banker with GTBank and FCMB. A prolific writer, songwriter, educator, and Gospel preacher, he is passionate about informing, inspiring, and impacting society through his work.