Reports reaching InsideBenue reveals that some gunmen have on Sunday attacked a Benue Link passenger bus, abducting not fewer than 10 passengers.

The incident occured around Olanyega community along Otukpo-Otukpa road in Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State.

According to the Secretary General of the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (Benue Links chapter), Comrade Gabriel Tachia, the fully loaded bus was on its way to Makurdi from Onitsha before it was hijacked on the Benue road.

“Four passengers were released as at yesterday night (Sunday) after the army gave the abductors a hot chase. It was a fully loaded bus (with 15 occupants). The bus was returning from Onitsha to Makurdi,” Tachia told newsmen.

Mr Omale Omale, the Commissioner for Power, Energy and Transport who confirmed the development to newsmen in Makurdi said information are sketchy.

The Makurdi Zonal Centre of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), said among the passengers abducted was a staff of the organisation.

According to the report, the kidnappers demanded N60 million, but reduced the demand to N16 million as ransom before their victims gain freedom.

The operation which lasted over 30 minutes, according to locals, occurred at 2:30pm on Sunday, leaving motorists plying that section of the highway helpless.

A local chief in the area, who escaped being caught up in the attack, narrated that the spot – Olanyega/Okpudu – where the incident happened on the Otukpo-Ugbokolo-Enugu Expressway had over time become unsafe for commuters.

Recall that similar incident involving two buses of the transport company a fortnight ago around Ajaokuta in Kogi State. 28 people were kidnapped.

Tachia however added that eight of the 10 Lagos-bound passengers abducted in Kogi axis had been released remaining two victims.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue Command, SP Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident.

Jimmy Odukoya

Following the nomination of Nollywood actor and son of the late Pastor Odukoya, Jimmy Odukoya as successor of his popular father by the Board of Trustees of Fountain of Life Church on Sunday, a social media influencer, Barr. Jov Tersoo took to his Facebook page to congratulate the new overseer. But his post with different reactions from his readers:

Tersoo writes: Congratulations to Jimmy Odukoya. This is why some people keep referring to Pentecostal churches as family empires. Also a reason why no one want to serve under another person as a pastor. No matter how good and faithful you are, the general overseer’s son is prepared to take the lead when the father is gone. May his reign be great.

Below are some of the reactions:

✍ Idoko Noah Sanni commented “The hair style if not natural dada (dread) and you still remain in the church you need check up,we thank God for orthodox background”

✍ Tertindi Teeter writes: “Thanks be to God Almighty who uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise.”

✍ Ololade Paul writes:
“With this kind of hair style? This is not how we met Christianity!”

✍ Usha Humphrey writes: “He looks like a superstar”

✍ Walter Ogar writes: “Joel Osteen took over from his father John Osteen, founder of Lakewood Church and has surpassed all expectations. Just listen to God, what is he saying?”

✍ Ishaya Danladi writes: “The founder of the Redeemed Christian Church of God followed a path that most overseers dread to take. He made someone not even related to him to take over the helm of affairs before his departure. Most presidents and founders of modern pentecostal churches start their work with the view that it is a family business.”

✍ Aondona Manta write: “Jov, Who was the leader of the Jerusalem council of elders, or if we must put it in today’s parlance, the Chairman of the Board in Jesus’ ministry after his death and resurrection?”

✍ Sammie Adoche writes: “Until you know the circumstances surrounding his nomination it’s wrong to call any church a family business. Jimmy is not someone who will normally want to take up such mantle but if it’s God’s what will he do.”

✍ Ayodele Yemitope writes “I feel that’s subjective… It’s not all churches that get another person that’s not a family member that ends up more Successful and it’s not all churches that has the son or family of the founder take over that becomes a Success. What matters is if God is leading in that direction. Jimmy has been a Pastor in TFL for a while now long before the Dad’s death. But for the Dreads that seems kind off out of place to many. Every other things is okay from man’s point of view from God side that’s for those that have heard in line. The real deal is when the Latter House Surpass the Former”

✍ Dommie Kay writes “Any man that can go sit in the salon, washing, conditioning drying and braiding, as in braiding his hair should be feared, e get why. Even women don’t enjoy the experience, we only enjoy it for the beauty of the outcome.”

Jimmy, a Nollywood actor and musician who featured prominently Netflix’s ‘Woman King’ movie as Oba Ade was announced to the church on Sunday as his father’s successor.

According to a member of the BoT, Pastor Rotimi Okpaise, the late Taiwo Odukoya confided in the board of trustees (BoT) members about the succession plan before his demise.

Okpaise said the BoT unanimously elected Jimmy as the senior pastor and chairperson of the board..

Jimmy will be formally installed on Saturday, September 30, 2023.

The former Senior pastor and founder died on August 7, Odukoya, in the United States of America aged 67.

Some angry youths have come out en mass on Wednesday, taking over the Gboko-Aliade highway to protest the poor state of the road and collapse of Nomnor bridge near Gboko Rice Mill.

The youths, numbering hundreds, barricaded the federal road, preventing any form of vehiclular movement.

Due to the situation, motorists and commuters were left stranded around Nomnor River Rice Mill, Gboko Local Government Area, LGA, of the state. They were forced to seek alternative routes to their destinations.

According to the youths, they had earlier protested and called necessary attentions to the situation but nothing was done about it.

According to them, heavy duty trucks had fallen into the eroded portion of the road. And most cases, , motorists use people’s farm lands as alternatives to avoid the bad portion of the federal road.

“And finally today after the heavy rain of last night the bridge linking Rice Mill and Fidei Polytechnic settlements was washed away by flood, thereby worsening our situation.

“So we cannot continue to watch because the destroyed bridge will also affect our people who use it daily. We are peaceful in our demands but we are so angry because before this happened we had protested over the state of the road but nobody listened to us until the situation got to this point.

“We have advised all motorists to seek alternative routes for now because the bridge is in bad state and the road itself is in a state of disrepair,” one of the youths told reporters.