Husband abducted while conveying wife’s corpse regains freedom

A bereaved husband and five other persons conveying his wife’s corpse from Kano State to her hometown in Okpoga, Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State, have regained their freedom after being abducted by armed men along Adoka Road in Otukpo LGA of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the victims regained their freedom on Tuesday night after their relatives allegedly paid a ransom of N2.5 million to their captors.

The victims, according to witnesses, were abducted on Friday at about 8pm while returning from Kano and approaching their destination, barely an hour’s drive from the scene of the attack.

Chairman of Otukpo LGA, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the release of the victims between Tuesday night and the early hours of Wednesday.

Ogiri, who spoke with journalists in Makurdi on Wednesday via telephone, said all six victims had regained their freedom but declined to provide further details.

However, an Idoma community social media influencer, Meddy Olotu, also disclosed that the victims were released at about 11pm on Tuesday after a ransom of N2.5 million was paid, against the initial demand of N15 million for the release of the six abductees.

Olotu said, “N2.5 million was paid alongside 10 plates of food delivered to the abductors before the man who took his wife’s corpse from Kano to Benue was released alongside his five friends.

“The guys in the bush said they were hungry, so they demanded both the money and 10 plates of food.”

The Police Public Relations Officer for Benue command, DSP Peter Aondongu, had yet to confirm the incident as of the time of filing this report.

He was said to be attending a function outside the state capital.