Gunmen Abduct Three Siblings Travelling With Mother's Corpse For Burial In Benue

Three siblings travelling from Abuja to Benue State to bury their late mother have reportedly been abducted by suspected armed herdsmen, who also took away the deceased woman's corpse during the attack.

The incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of Saturday along the Ogobia–Otukpo Road, between the Omutele and Ankpechi communities in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.

The victims were said to be conveying their mother's remains from Abuja to their hometown, Iklenyi in Okpokwu Local Government Area, where burial arrangements had been concluded before tragedy struck.

A source familiar with the incident said the family had experienced delays during the journey after the vehicle conveying them developed a mechanical fault, forcing them to remain on the road into the early hours of Saturday.

According to the source, the vehicle was eventually repaired and the siblings resumed their journey because they were determined to take their mother's body home for burial.

"Even at about 2 a.m they were still on the road because their vehicle had broken down. After repairing it, they continued the journey because they were determined to take their mother's body home for burial," the source said.

The source explained that the siblings remained in contact with their relatives throughout the trip until they reached the stretch of road between Omutele and Ankpechi, where communication suddenly stopped after they were allegedly ambushed by armed men.

"It was the three of them travelling with the corpse of their mother. When they got to that area, the armed men abducted all three siblings and even took the corpse of their mother into the bush. As we speak, they are still being held," the source added.

The incident has thrown the family into deeper grief, with relatives appealing to security agencies to urgently rescue the abducted siblings and recover the remains of their mother.

"It is painful that a family already grieving the loss of their mother has been subjected to this ordeal. They kidnapped not only the children but also took the corpse of a dead woman. We appeal to the security agencies to act swiftly and ensure their safe rescue," the source said.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Gabriel Adole, said he had been informed of the reported abduction and was travelling to the affected community to obtain firsthand information.

"I have been informed about the incident and I am heading to the area to ascertain exactly what happened," Adole said.

As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident.

The latest abduction adds to growing security concerns along parts of Benue's highways, where travellers have repeatedly come under attack by armed criminals, prompting renewed calls for stronger security presence and improved protection for motorists across the state.