Benue: Tyomu Residents Protest Mass Abduction of 18 Mourners

A sombre journey to a burial ceremony in Kogi State turned tragic for 18 individuals, mostly women, from Benue State's Tyomu community. They were reportedly abducted by gunmen on Friday evening, September 25, 2026, while travelling along the Makurdi-Naka-Adoka-Ankpa Road, specifically after Adoka.

Following the incident, the kidn*ppers established contact with the victims' families, demanding a ransom of N30 million. The community managed to pool resources and pay N3 million, but despite this payment, the abducted mourners were not released, prompting widespread anger and distress.

In response to the continued captivity of their relatives, residents of Tyomu community, located within the Makurdi Local Government Area, staged a protest on Tuesday, September 29. They blocked the busy Makurdi/Gboko Road, brandishing fresh palm fronds and singing in their local dialect, causing significant traffic gridlock and leaving motorists stranded for several hours. The protesters called on government officials to intervene swiftly to locate and secure the release of their loved ones.

Confirming the abduction, Chief Joseph Har, the Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, spoke to The Sun Newspaper in Makurdi. He acknowledged the incident but noted that the exact number of victims was still being verified. Har stated, “The incident actually happened. As I speak to you now, I have reported it to the relevant security agencies, who are also working on it. We located the place, the DPO of Adoka and the security operatives in surrounding areas are working tirelessly to see how they can get to the location.”

Chief Har highlighted the complexities involved in tackling kidn*pping cases, explaining, "The worst thing about kidn*pping is that the location from which the kidn*ppers make their calls is usually different from where the victims are actually being kept. So, it is not as straightforward as people may think. It is therefore a challenge for security agencies to navigate and identify the exact location. But we are careful when handling these matters. We are working on this particular case, and I do not hide information from the families of the victims. I keep them informed about how far we have gone, where we are and what the next steps are.” He also cautioned residents against night travel, especially on routes known for insecurity, saying, "First of all, travelling to Kogi State at night is a concern. How can people be travelling to Kogi State at night especially when everybody is aware of how dangerous the situation along that route is? This is not correct, we should not be putting people under pressure.”

The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, also confirmed the incident, urging calm while assuring the public of the state government's efforts to resolve the situation. Iorpev detailed that the women from Tyomu, a community near the Air Force Base, had hired Ejifa Travel Services for their journey, a common practice for such occasions. He noted, “Some women from Tyomu, a community after the Air Force Base, hired Ejifa Travel Services to transport them for a burial, an arrangement they usually make, to and fro, while travelling for such occasions. So, around Ankpa, they were kidn*pped.”

Critically, Iorpev revealed the Commissioner of Police’s stance that the transport company failed to report the incident promptly, with the protest ultimately bringing the matter to the police's attention. He added that the Commissioner of Police was actively engaging with the travel company and the affected families to commence tracing the kidn*pped victims. Iorpev implored transport operators to be proactive in reporting such incidents to the authorities, stating, “If your company is involved in an incident or something goes wrong, the people concerned should be informed and the appropriate authorities should be notified. That way, everyone knows what is happening and the necessary steps can be taken.” He concluded by reiterating the government's commitment: “However, now that we are aware of what is going on, the Commissioner of Police will lead his team to see what can be done to resolve the matter in the shortest possible time. So we are calling for calm, the government will do something as soon as possible.”