By Mike Odeh James and Olikita Ekani
[Makurdi] Well-armed Fulani-tribe kidnappers on Thursday, August 15, 2024 abducted 20 Catholic Medical Students and one House Officer along Otukpo-Enugu Road in Benue State.
Otukpo county [Local Governance area] is 102km (63 miles) Southeast of Makurdi, the Benue State Capital. The kidnappers are linked to the Fulani tribe, one of Nigeria’s largest, with 9 million members. A small demographic slice of Fulani people in Northern Nigeria make up the great majority of terrorist-bandits and kidnappers preying upon Nigerian citizens in Benue State and all other Middle Belt States, according to Prof. Murtala Rufa’i, author of “I Am A Bandit.”
The medical students from the University of Maiduguri and University of Jos, were abducted at Quarry Mining point, after Mechanic Village Otukpo, while on their way to attend the annual Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) taking place in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria.
Similar kidnappings by Fulani Jihadists took place around the area on June 13, 2024, including the kidnapping of 20 passengers from two Benue Links Buses, the raping of a female passenger and killing of one of the drivers.
Confirming the incident in an interview with a TruthNigeria correspondent, the Commander of Homeland Defence in Otukpo, William Agada said.
“Yes, the Medical Students who were on their way to Enugu State were kidnapped on Thursday at 5:30 pm local time (16 GMT) at Ojano, shortly after the 2nd Military Checkpoint along Otukpo-Enugu Road.”
“The kidnappers are Fulani as they speak Fulfulde and Hausa. They have already established contacts with the families of the victims. We are also talking with them.”
“I am just returning from the bush after today’s operation. We are trying to get the coordinates of their location before we swing into full action”.
“We heard sporadic gunshots on Thursday evening at about 5:30pm local time (16:30 GMT) around Quarry Mining site, Ojano,” said Samuel Agebe, a resident of Mechanic Village, Otukpo, a precinct close to the point of the incident, in an interview with TruthNigeria. “A few minutes later, we were told that more than 20 Medical students of Catholic faith, coming from University of Maiduguri and University of Jos were kidnapped.”
“The kidnappers are Fulani. A similar kidnapping incident involving vehicles belonging to Benue Links Transport Authority took place around the area last month (July). The kidnappers arrested by the police were all Fulani terrorists and confirmed their involvement.”
A Community Leader in Otukpo, Mr Anthony Usman, in an interview with TruthNigeria Correspondent, condemned the kidnapping and decried the inability of the security agencies to stop the incessant kidnappings in the area.
“What is so painful is that such high-profile kidnappings have been happening almost every month without any decisive action by the security agencies”.
“For example, the Thursday kidnapping happened close to two military checkpoints, yet the kidnappers carried out their action successfully without any resistance by the military”, Usman said.
In an interview with TruthNigeria, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Otukpo Police Command, CSP Ezekiel Imoh, confirmed the incident.
“It is true, the incident happened in the late hours of Thursday. I cannot give you update now because we are going back to bush for special operation”, Imoh said.
Speaking with TruthNigeria, the Police Public Relations Officer, Benue State Police Command, Catherine Sewuese Anene confirmed the abduction, saying “no update yet.”
“The Command has been informed about the kidnapping incident, and our men have swung into action to free the victims,” she said.
Mike Odeh James and Olikita Ekani are Benue natives and report conflict for TruthNigeria.
