Armed men kidnap three siblings travelling with mother’s remains

A journey meant to give a deceased woman a dignified burial ended in tragedy after three of her children were reportedly abducted by suspected armed herdsmen in Benue State while conveying her remains from Abuja to their ancestral home.

The attack according to a report by Vanguard, occurred in the early hours of Saturday along the Ogobia–Otukpo Road, between the Omutele and Ankpechi communities in Ohimini Local Government Area. The family was travelling to Iklenyi in Okpokwu Local Government Area, where burial arrangements had been made.

The report said a source revealed that the mourners had already experienced a major setback before the attack when the vehicle conveying them developed a fault, forcing them to remain on the road far longer than planned.

“Even at about 2am 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 was quoted to have said.

The source explained that the siblings had continued updating relatives on their progress until they reached the isolated stretch of road where communication suddenly stopped. It was later learnt that armed men had allegedly intercepted the vehicle.

“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.

“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 agencies to act swiftly and ensure their safe rescue,” the source further said.

The report said the Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Gabriel Adole, confirmed that he had been briefed about the incident. He said he was travelling to the affected community to gather firsthand information before providing further details.