A Police officer and two other mourners are reported to have been kidnapped in an ambush by suspected armed herdsmen at Anune community in Gwer West Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state.
It was gathered from a source in the area that the victims were abducted Tuesday evening while returning to Makurdi after a burial ceremony in Naka, the Gwer West Local Government Headquarters.
The incident came five months after the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of Naka and six others were gruesomely murdered on that stretch of road in an ambush by the same armed herdsmen.
Confirming the incident, the Gwer West LG Chairman, Andrew Ayande said the incident occurred at about 4pm “while some mourners were returning from Naka to Makurdi after attending a burial ceremony.”
Ayade explained that “we lost one prominent person on Monday and the corpse was billed to be taken home for burial on Monday. And yesterday (Tuesday) the people came as usual and attacked the vehicle conveying the mourners.
“They took away some of the victims into the bush but security personnel are on their trail.
“The vehicle they were travelling in before the attack has since been taken to Naka police station. It is unfortunate that the armed herdsmen are always doing that around Anune.
“Among those they kidnapped was a Police officer and two others. They are already demanding a ransom of N200,000 for the Police officer, one million Naira for the woman and N500,000 for one other person.”
Contacted, Benue State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive details of the incident.
vanguard