A viral CCTV footage showing a dramatic abduction at Vegetable Market along Airport Road in Benin City, Edo State, has triggered widespread concern online.
The short video shows a car parking in front of another car parked along the road beside the popular market not far from RIng Road.
Some gunmen alight from the newly parked car and walk over to the car behind them and shoot the front tyre of the car to immobilise it as the motorist tries to pull out.
The gunmen hijack the man behind the wheel and march him to their own car in front. Another person among the gunmen held the woman and march her to the car the abductors brought.
As they put the man in the back seat, he manages to scramble to his feet, pushes the closest suspect to him and takes to his heels with the gun men in hot pursuit.
The female victim also takes her cue to run but she is pursued and recaptured, while her male companion made good his own escape.
The gunmen put the woman in their car and casually drove off.
Another clip recorded by a woman captured the immediate aftermath of the incident. The woman claimed in her video that has also gone viral that she witnessed the incident.
She claimed she was at the same stall with the woman abducted before the incident. She also claimed she helped to shield the woman’s children after their mother was whisked away.
She showed her mud stained dress and bruises she claimed she sustained during the fracas.
“I witnessed kidnapping live for the first time in my life. Who says there is no kidnapping in Benin City. Shut up your mouth!” she said in the video..
Police yet to confirm abduction claim
As of Monday morning, the Edo State Police Command had not officially confirmed whether the incident had been formally reported to them.
However, police sources quoted by several local blogs said an investigation had commenced to verify the authenticity of the video and identify those involved in the incident.
Authorities also urged residents to avoid spreading unverified claims capable of causing panic.
Eyewitnesses describe abduction
According to eyewitness accounts shared on social media, the abduction reportedly occurred during the evening rush around the popular Vegetable Market on Airport Road, one of Benin City’s busiest commercial corridors.
Traders and passersby were said to have raised an alarm after witnessing the incident.
Public concern over insecurity
The viral footage has reignited conversations about insecurity in Edo State, particularly along major highways and commercial districts where residents say they increasingly fear criminal activities.
Social media users called on security agencies to intensify patrols around Airport Road and other vulnerable areas in Benin City. Many also demanded the installation of more surveillance cameras and faster emergency response mechanisms.
Authorities urge calm
Security experts and community leaders have advised the public to remain calm and allow investigators to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
See the video on our Telegram Channel.
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