Three female staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chinenye Oji, Adamaka Anih, and Catherine Temaugee along with several other passengers, have been abducted by gunmen in Aloma, a community located a few minutes from the Benue–Kogi border.
The victims, who were on an official assignment to Anambra State ahead of the forthcoming governorship election, were reportedly kidnapped on Monday afternoon while travelling in a Toyota Sienna bus from Utako, Abuja, to Anambra State.
According to sources and voice notes shared by colleagues familiar with the incident, the abduction occurred at about 3:00 p.m., when the kidnappers laid ambush along the Aloma highway, opened fire on the vehicle, and shattered its windscreen. Fortunately, none of the occupants was hit by the bullets.
It was gathered that the kidnapped INEC officials were being deployed to Anambra for the printing of voters’ registers and other preparatory materials ahead of the November governorship election.
The gunmen reportedly took all passengers in the vehicle including the driver and his wife into the nearby bush. However, they later released an elderly woman who was among the travellers after discovering that she had difficulty walking. The kidnappers also freed the driver to assist the woman back to town.
As of the time of filing this report, six persons, including the three INEC staff and the driver’s wife, remain in captivity.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement on the incident. Efforts are ongoing to reach both security agencies and INEC officials for further confirmation.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
