Suspected herdsmen kidnap three in Benin

By ‘SUYI AYODELE, Benin

Three persons, two women and a male truck driver, were on Monday kidnapped by some suspected herdsmen, said to be three in number, on the road to Utesi in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.

The driver, Tribune Online gathered, was on his way to a sawmill in the community in the company of the two women, believed to be timber traders, when they were intercepted by the herdsmen, who opened fire on the oncoming truck and forcefully abducted the trio.

A source, who is a colleague of the kidnapped driver said that “the driver was going to the sawmill in Utesi with two women, where he wants to carry woods, but on their way, three herdsmen came out and opened fire on them, three of them were kidnapped and we have not heard anything from them till now.”

In recent times, the Benin- Lagos Road has become a hob of kidnapping, robbery and other sundry crimes, as men of the underworld continue to lay siege on the highway, subjecting the travelling public on the route to harrowing experiences.

Suspected herdsmen have been having unhindered criminal rendezvous on the route by engaging in kidnapping and maiming their victims, who are usually early and late travellers on the ever-busy Lagos- Benin Road.

Among their recent victims was an American based Nigerian, Prince Dennis Abuda, who was kidnapped and killed by suspected herdsmen after collecting a huge sum of money as ransom from his relations.

Edo State Police Command Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Kontongos Bello, when contacted was said not to be available, and his assistant who picked the call said he would confirm the incident from the supervising Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of that locality. However, as at the time of filing this report, he was yet to get back to the newsmen who contacted him. (Nigerian Tribune)