Members of the Benue Buffalos Handball Team have recounted a terrifying ordeal after armed men ambushed their official bus while they were returning from the Ardova Premier Handball League in Lagos.
The attack happened in the early hours of Friday along the busy Otukpo–Enugu Road when gunmen wielding rifles and machetes blocked the path of the team’s bus.
A player who witnessed the incident said the attackers fired several shots into the air before ordering the driver to stop.
“The moment our driver opened the door, one of them stabbed him on the leg. They ordered us to lie on the ground and searched us one by one. We were then led towards the bush. Everyone feared for their lives,” he narrated.
The assailants reportedly made away with valuables such as mobile phones, team jerseys, sports canvases, a JBL music player, cash and other personal belongings. Some of the stolen phones contained sensitive personal and professional information belonging to both players and officials.
Relief came when soldiers arrived at the scene, forcing the attackers to flee into the bush.
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“If not for the quick arrival of the soldiers, we wouldn’t know what else could have happened. But since it was night and the area was bushy, the robbers escaped with everything,” another team member said.
The shaken players are now calling on the Benue State Government and security agencies to launch a thorough investigation and help recover their belongings.
“We are the official Benue State Handball Team representing the state at the national level. We do not deserve to go through this. We are begging the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice,” a team member appealed.
Beyond the attack, the players also raised concerns about the condition of the Benue State Sports Council bus that conveyed them. Although built to carry 14 passengers, it reportedly transported 18 players.
“The bus is old and rickety. When the attack happened, we struggled to escape but the door wouldn’t open properly. If the vehicle were in better condition, the situation might not have been this bad,” one victim added.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, for comments were unsuccessful as of press time.
The Vanguard
