The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the abduction of the acting rector of the State Polytechnic, Dr. Emmanuel Barki, by gunmen alongside three other staff members of the institution.
Barki, along with two other management staff and their driver, were reportedly kidnapped on Thursday while returning to Ugbokolo from an official trip to Makurdi, the state capital.
Sources indicate that the kidnapping occurred along the Otukpo-Otukpa Road. One of the victims was released shortly after due to health issues.
A family member of the rector disclosed that the kidnappers had contacted them, demanding a ransom of N70 million.
The spokesperson for the state police command, Catherine Anne, verified the abduction in a brief statement, “Incident confirmed and investigation is ongoing.”
The state’s security adviser, Joseph Har, also confirmed the incident but stated he was unaware of any ransom demand.
Har said, “The incident happened but I’m not aware they demanded ransom but security men are combining the bushes to rescue them.”
