Mirian Gom 
BENUE, Nigeria – The police in Benue State have rescued eight kidnap victims after engaging suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate in a gun battle in Ohimini Local Government Area.
The victims were among 13 passengers abducted from a commercial bus travelling from Abakaliki in Ebonyi State to Abuja, according to the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu on Friday.
He said the armed men intercepted the bus at about 11pm on Sunday along the Ankpenchi-Ogobia axis and abducted all 13 passengers.
Police operatives subsequently launched search and rescue operations, rescuing four victims shortly afterwards while nine remained in captivity.
He said the breakthrough came after the police received credible intelligence about the suspected kidnappers’ location.
According to Nwadiogbu, police operatives stormed the suspected kidnappers’ camp around the Ankpenchi axis of Amla Forest in Otukpo at about 6:30am on Friday.
“The operation resulted in an exchange of gunfire with the kidnappers, during which eight of the remaining victims were successfully rescued,” he said.
The Commissioner said the rescued victims informed the police that the ninth hostage had died from gunshot injuries sustained during the initial attack.
He said the victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and allegedly died while the kidnappers were moving him between locations in the forest.
According to the Commissioner, the kidnappers allegedly kept the injured victim alive while attempting to obtain ransom before he eventually died from his injuries.
He said police operatives remained in the forest in an effort to recover the victim’s body and apprehend fleeing members of the suspected kidnapping syndicate.
The Commissioner advised travellers to avoid night journeys, particularly along routes considered vulnerable to attacks.
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Oluwatobi Adu