Thirteen passengers kidnapped from a Benue Links commercial bus on the Makurdi–Otukpo road have been rescued by Nigerian Army troops under Operation Whirl Stroke. The abduction occurred on April 15, and the rescue took place in the early hours of Sunday when troops recovered the victims from a forest area in Okete Ward, Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State. The rescued individuals include Hycent Oko (56), Elaiguli Joshua (25), Orili Raphael (29), Sunday Augustine (18), Emmanuel Elaicha (21), Gbile Nguyor Daniel (18), Ukacha Tersoo (18), Nyikwagh Aoridakator (22), Iornav Ngukuhan (18), Nyikwagh Benjamin (18), Buker Agatha (19), Paul Wende (29), and Akor Jessica (19). They were immediately evacuated to General Hospital, Otukpo, where they are receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained during captivity. According to an operational report seen by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), three of the 17 abducted passengers had previously escaped and rejoined their families. Efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining captives. Eight of those abducted were preparing for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination at the time of the incident.
The military's recovery of 13 abductees weeks after the incident exposes the delayed response to violence on major highways. While some victims managed to escape and others were rescued, the continued captivity of at least one person underscores the unresolved security challenges in Benue State. The fact that eight of the abducted were JAMB candidates highlights the disruption of critical life opportunities due to persistent insecurity. This operation, though successful in part, does not conceal the broader failure to protect civilian commuters.
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