Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and three other passengers travelling to Anambra State ahead of the November 8 governorship election.
The victims were reportedly ambushed on Tuesday afternoon around Aloma, a community in Kogi State bordering Benue, while on their way from Abuja to Awka, Anambra’s capital.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the abducted INEC officials — identified as Chinenye Orji, Adamaka Anih, and Catherine Temaugee — were on official duty to print voters’ registers and other sensitive election materials for the upcoming poll.
A survivor, who drove the Sienna minibus conveying the victims, said the attackers suddenly emerged from the bush and opened fire on the vehicle.
“They took over the highway and started shooting at the car. The windshield shattered, and all of us panicked,” the driver narrated in an audio message obtained by SaharaReporters.
“They abducted everyone in the bus, including my wife, but released me and an elderly woman who could not walk properly.”
The incident reportedly occurred a little after 3 p.m., shortly after the passengers had left Lokoja, where they stopped to eat.
“We left Utako Park in Abuja around 9 a.m. and were heading to Awka with Anambra Comfort Line. It happened not long after we passed Aloma,” the released elderly woman recounted.
“The kidnappers took everyone except the driver and me. We reported the case at Aloma Police Station.”
Security sources confirmed that the matter had been reported to the police, and efforts were ongoing to locate the victims.
However, as of press time, the kidnappers had yet to make any ransom demands.
A police source in Kogi said that tactical teams had been deployed to comb the area, describing the Aloma axis as “a known hotspot for kidnapping activities along the Benue-Kogi corridor.”
The abduction has sparked fresh concerns about the rising wave of insecurity on Nigerian highways and its potential impact on election logistics and personnel safety.
An INEC official who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed worry over the development.
“These are staff members performing national assignments. It’s very disturbing that they could be targeted on duty,” the source said. “We hope the security agencies will act swiftly to rescue them.”
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