ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Three siblings conveying the remains of their late mother from Abuja to Benue State for burial have reportedly been abducted by suspected armed herdsmen along the Ogobia-Otukpo Road in Ohimini Local Government Area of the state.
The assailants were also said to have taken away the corpse of the deceased woman after intercepting the family along the lonely stretch of road between Omutele and Ankpechi communities in the early hours of Saturday.
Sources familiar with the incident disclosed that the victims were travelling to Iklenyi community in Okpokwu Local Government Area for the burial when their journey was disrupted by a mechanical fault.
According to the source, the vehicle broke down during the trip, forcing the family to spend several hours on the road before it was repaired.
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Vanguard reports that the source explained that determined to meet the burial arrangements, the siblings resumed the journey at about 2 a.m. after fixing the vehicle, unaware that they would run into armed men.
“They had been communicating with relatives throughout the journey. Unfortunately, shortly after passing the Omutele axis, they were ambushed by gunmen who abducted all three siblings,” the source said.
The attackers reportedly dragged the remains of the deceased woman into the bush alongside the victims, leaving relatives and members of the community in shock.
“It is a heartbreaking situation. The family had already been devastated by the death of their mother, only for the children to be kidnapped while taking her home for burial. Even the corpse was not spared,” the source added.
The development has sparked fresh concerns over the worsening security situation along the Ogobia-Otukpo Road, where travellers have repeatedly complained of attacks by armed criminals.
Community members appealed to security agencies to intensify search operations to ensure the safe rescue of the victims and the recovery of the deceased woman’s remains.
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Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Gabriel Adole, said he had received reports of the attack and was heading to the affected area to obtain firsthand information.
“I have been informed of the incident and I am on my way to the community to ascertain exactly what transpired,” the council chairman said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, for comments were unsuccessful.