From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Seven persons, including a pastor and his son have been reportedly abducted from a Lagos-bound Benue Links vehicle along Kabba-Ayere road in Kogi State last Tuesday.
This latest abduction is happening barely one week after six persons were abducted from another Benue Links vehicle around Ayingba in the same Kogi State last week.
The abductees, according to our source, included Pastor Steven Orhena and his son Tertsea as well as five other passengers had boarded the said Benue Links vehicle from Makurdi, the Benue State capital that fateful day before the gunmen kidnapped them.
Orhena is said to be the pastor of Jesus Prophetic and Apostolic Church aka Jesus Family located at North Bank, Makurdi. Speaking with newsmen in Makurdi on Thursday, the Pastor’s wife, Mrs Hanna Orhena said the vehicle conveying her husband, son and five others was intercepted at about 3pm while on their way to Lagos.
“My husband and son including five others boarded Benue Links going to Lagos but were abducted between Kabba and Ayere at about 3:pm on Tuesday.
“The abductors called me yesterday (Wednesday) night between 10 and 11pm and asked me to look for someone who could speak in Hausa language to interpret for me.
“When we were talking, they demanded for N5 million ransom but I negotiated with them to accept N500,000 but they refused. They however allowed my husband and son to speak to me.
“They also told me that they came from Zamfara State and that they have a boss in Abuja, so nothing can happen to them.”
Asked if the abductors have also contacted other victims’ families, the Pastor’s wife said “I only negotiated for my family and everybody to himself. When contacted, General Manager of Benue Links Company, Makurdi, Mrs Ugela Monica said she was not aware about any abduction involving Benue Links vehicle but rather wondered why journalists have decided to focus on her company.
“I am not aware of abduction of passengers in our vehicles, when it happened to train (railway) and others in another place, you people don’t make news about it. It is when it happens to Benue Links that you want to make news out of it,” she said.