Armed gunmen have abducted 28 travellers, including women and children, in Nigeria’s central Plateau State, after ambushing a commercial bus heading to an annual Islamic gathering, police have confirmed.
The attack occurred late Sunday night as the vehicle was travelling between rural communities. The assailants reportedly stopped the bus and forcefully took the passengers into nearby bushland.
Police Launch Rescue Operation
Confirming the incident, Plateau State Police spokesperson Alabo Alfred said security forces have deployed tactical assets to the area and are working to rescue the abducted victims.
“We have deployed assets to ensure the safe recovery of those taken,” he told the BBC, without providing further operational details.
A journalist based in the state said families of the victims have already begun receiving ransom demands, although police have not confirmed this.
No Group Claims Responsibility
Authorities have not identified the perpetrators, but the attack bears the hallmarks of criminal bandit groups that operate across northern and central Nigeria, where kidnapping for ransom has become a lucrative enterprise.
Although paying ransom is illegal under Nigerian law, such payments are widely believed to be how many abduction cases are resolved.
Police stressed that the Plateau incident is unrelated to the Islamist insurgency in Nigeria’s north-east, where jihadist groups have waged a violent rebellion for more than a decade.
Kidnappings Persist Despite Recent Rescue
The abduction comes just one day after Nigerian authorities announced the release of 130 schoolchildren and teachers who were seized in a separate mass kidnapping at a Catholic boarding school in neighbouring Niger State last month.
Kidnapping incidents targeting schools, travellers, and rural communities have become one of the defining features of Nigeria’s ongoing security crisis.
International Spotlight on Nigeria’s Insecurity
Nigeria’s security challenges drew renewed global attention in November after US President Donald Trump threatened to deploy troops to Nigeria, alleging that Christians were being targeted.
The Nigerian government has denied these claims. On Monday, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said tensions with the United States had been “largely resolved” and relations strengthened.
He also announced plans to deploy trained forest guards to secure remote areas often used by criminal gangs as hideouts, complementing ongoing military operations.
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