From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have again hijacked a Benue Links Bus with registration number 14B-143BN and abducted 12 passengers on board, leaving only one passenger.The latest incident brought to light five times this year that the state company bus would be attacked and hijacked by suspected kidnappers and passengers taken hostage.

DAILY ASSET gathered that the latest incident happened at about 6:30PM on Sunday at Eke community, along the Enugu- Ugbokolo-Otukpo Federal Highway in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State. It was further gathered that the suspected abductors first attacked the bus, robbed all the passengers on board before taking them to an unknown destination.According to eyewitnesses, the Benue State All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Austin Agada, who happened to be plighting the road shortly after the incident, alerted the security personnel stationed around the area.One of the eyewitnesses told DAILY ASSET on phone on condition of anonymity that, despite Agada, immediately alerted and mobilized soldiers and policemen to the area to rescue the victims; the kidnappers succeeded in whisking away their victims.”The APC State Chairman, Austin Agada, did his best. He contacted the local youths and vigilante groups from the three villages around Eke who swiftly swung into action and started combing the surrounding bushes to rescue the kidnapped victims. Luckily, one of the victims who was abandoned close to the mainroad was rescued. But for now, no one knows the whereabout of the rest of the kidnapped victims”Agada has also sent the details of the vehicle and the military personnel undertaking the rescue operation to management of Benue Links for proper coordination”, the eyewitness said.When contacted, the Benue State Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Edet Udeme confirmed the incident, saying police personnel have been drafted to the area for rescue operation.”We are investigating a suspected kidnapping where a Hummer Bus with registration number 14B-43BN was packed by the road in Ugbokolo.”On receipt of the information police tactical teams, military and Benue State Protection Guard arrived at the scene, they combed the bush and rescued one Paul Terna who escaped from the hands of the suspected kidnappers.”Additional reinforcement, have been sent to the location to locate other passengers as soon as possible”, Udeme statedMeanwhile, the Benue Links Nigeria Limited confirmed the development, saying that the company regrets to inform the public of an unfortunate incident involving one of its buses, with Registration Number 14B – 143BN.The company disclosed that the bus was attacked while en route Makurdi from Abeokuta, while the attack occurred at about 6:30pm of Sunday, at Eke Elengbecho, in Okpokwu Local Government Area, Benue State.The information officer of the State owned transport outfit, Ehi Johnson in a Statement on Monday morning, said the vehicle, which departed Abeokuta with 12 passengers and the driver, was later discovered by the roadside at Eke with some of the passengers’ luggage.”However, the driver and 11 passengers were missing. One passenger managed to escape and reach the Eke Police Station and reported that the bus was ambushed by armed kidnappers.”Benue Links Nigeria Limited strongly condemns the attack on her vehicle and passengers by criminal elements. We stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones of those affected, and we assure the public that we are actively collaborating with security agencies, who are working diligently to secure the safe return of the abducted passengers and the driver”.”We commend the swift response of law enforcement agencies and express confidence in their ongoing efforts to bring this distressing situation to a safe and prompt resolution”, the statement said.Heavy Downpour Wreaks Havoc in Benue, Renders Many HomelessMany residential buildings in Makurdi metropolis were yesterday destroyed by flood as a result of over three hours of heavy rainfall.The rain which started at about 6:57AM and lasted till 10:03AM on Monday, has rendered several persons homeless and destroyed so many properties worth millions of Naira.The most affected areas are behind Living faith church Naka road, Idye village, Achusa, Nyiman, Katugu NorthBank, parts of Wadata and Wurukum, all in Makurdi town.Many houses including hotels, schools, worship centers and mini market places were submerged.A resident of behind living faith church Naka road, Blessing Attah told our correspondent that the surging water prevented from taking her three children to school.According to her, ‘the rain began a few minutes to 7am this morning. By then the children are in the bathroom taking theirs and am almost done in preparing their food, only for me to come out of the room to discover that the cloud had changed. Before the children could take their breakfast, the rain started in full force.“I peeped outside our gate only to behold the whole compound already flooded and water was flowing into the living room”.”We waited for some time, thinking it would stop, but no way. Everywhere was flooded including our compound and our road connecting the main road.“We tried to evacuate some perishable items like electronics into one of the rooms until the rain subsided around 10 am. You can see that the water is gradually receding from the living room”, Attah said.It was a similar experience for Agbo Okpokwu within Achusa, the family of five living in a house being threatened by flood, as at the time our correspondent visited the area, some of their property had been evacuated outside.“You can see out property outside because the rooms are already flooded we will remain like this until the water recedes”, he saidA staff of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Ate Job who spoke to our correspondent at Katugu one of the affected areas in North Bank called on the state government to open up drainage in the flooded areas.He said that some of the flooded areas from uniagric road to court 5 and Katugu were mostly affected because of lack of drainage, adding that the flood had chopped off all roads thereby making the inhabitable and impassible.The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Odoh Ugwu could not be reached for comment as he could not answer calls or respond to text messages sent to his cell phone.