# Kidnapping and security operations in Benue State

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/kidnapping-and-security-operations-in-benue-state
> Updated: 2026-08-21T17:04:32.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 2.

Security operations in Benue State have targeted kidnapping incidents involving abducted individuals. In mid-August, security operatives arrested two suspects, Usman Shuaibu and Aliyu Drahu, after a victim escaped from a forest hideout in the Utonkon district of Ado Local Government Area.

Following this, police conducted a night operation in the Amla-Cho Forest within the Otukpo Local Government Area to rescue 13 passengers who had been abducted while traveling from Enugu to Abuja. During the rescue, suspects fled, though a prior engagement on August 16 resulted in one suspect being neutralized and the recovery of an AK-47 rifle and ammunition. Authorities noted that the total number of victims was higher than initially reported due to discrepancies in the original passenger manifest.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-21: Benue State Police rescue 13 kidnapped passengers

Benue State Police rescued 13 kidnapped passengers in the Amla-Cho Forest following a multi-day operation. The victims were traveling from Enugu to Abuja when their bus was abducted in mid-August 2026.

9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/benue-state-police-rescue-13-kidnapped-passengers

### 2026-08-16: Benue State security operatives arrest two suspected kidnappers

Two suspected kidnappers were arrested in Benue State, Nigeria, after a female victim escaped from their forest hideout in the Ado Local Government Area.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/benue-state-security-operatives-arrest-two-suspected-kidnappers

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Cite as: Kidnapping and security operations in Benue State. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/kidnapping-and-security-operations-in-benue-state