Armed men suspected to be kidnappers have abducted nine mourners travelling with the body of a senior official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kogi State, demanding N450 million for their release.
The victims were accompanying the remains of Augustine O. Ikwue, a late Deputy Corps Commander of the FRSC, from Osogbo, Osun State, to his hometown in Otukpo, Benue State, when their vehicle was ambushed.
The attack occurred around 6 p.m. on Thursday along the Ochadamu-Ejule Road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Ikwue reportedly died in Osogbo after a brief illness.
Confirming the incident, Kogi State FRSC Sector Commander, Lawal Fagge, said nine mourners, including two FRSC personnel, were taken away by the gunmen.
He said the kidnappers later abandoned the officer's body in Ejule community, where it was recovered on Friday and returned to the family for burial.
"We recovered the corpse of the officer in Ejule community after an extensive search and handed it over to the family. He was buried on Saturday in his hometown in Otukpo, Benue State," Fagge said.
According to him, the abductors contacted the deceased officer's wife using his mobile phone and demanded N450 million to secure the release of those being held.
Security agencies, including the Nigerian Army, the police, local hunters and vigilante groups, have launched a joint operation to rescue the victims and track down the attackers.
