Police and other security agencies have launched a search operation for nine mourners, including two officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), kidnapped along the Ochadamu-Ejule Road in Ofu local government area of Kogi state.
The victims were travelling with the remains of a former Deputy Corps Commander of the FRSC, Augustine Ikwue from Osogbo, Osun state to his hometown in Otukpo, Benue state, for burial when gunmen ambushed their vehicle around 6 p.m. on Thursday.
The Kogi state Sector Commander of the FRSC, Lawal Fagge, confirmed the incident, saying the abductors seized nine people, including two FRSC personnel, but later abandoned the deceased officer’s body near Ejule community.
“We recovered the corpse on Friday after a search operation and handed it over to the family. He was buried on Saturday in his hometown in Otukpo,” Fagge said.
He added that the kidnappers later contacted the deceased officer’s wife using his mobile phone and demanded a ransom of N450 million for the release of the victims.
“The abductors used the cellphone of the deceased officer and called his wife, demanding a huge sum of money for those in their captivity to regain their freedom,” he said.
Security sources said police officers, soldiers, local hunters and vigilantes have been deployed to comb forests around the Ochadamu-Ejule axis in search of the victims and their abductors.
The incident has drawn condemnation from the senator representing Benue South, Abba Moro, who described the attack as inhumane. (Premium Times)