Gunmen abduct Benue NARTO boss, scribe, demand N50m

Unidentified gunmen have abducted the Benue State chairman of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Aronzi Zougu, and the secretary, Sunday Abah.

Mr. Zougu is the chief executive officer of Sylikaa filling stations in Makurdi.

The Guardian gathered from a victim’s family source that the victims were travelling to Owerri, Imo State, on Monday for the association’s meeting when the incident took place.

We learnt that the abductors had since opened discussions with the family of the NARTO chairman demanding N50 million ransom.

The source said that the victims had made a detour for the chairman’s residence, a short distance from Owerri town, to stay a night before the meeting billed for Tuesday, when they were kidnapped.

“The abductors, riding in a red Hilux van, approached them and fired a gunshot that hit a passer-by before they were taken away,” the source told The Guardian.

It was, however, not clear from the family source whether they reported the incident to the police, at the time of filing this report.

When contacted, the Benue police commissioner, Ene Okon, denied full knowledge of the incident.