Gunmen abducted two visually impaired persons in Plateau State on Monday. The victims were travelling along Riyom Road in Riyom Local Government Area. The kidnappers have demanded ₦50 million for their release. The police did not respond to inquiries.
Plateau State has become a kidnapping corridor. In 2024, gunmen abducted travellers along the Jos-Akwanga road. In 2025, similar attacks hit Riyom and Barkin Ladi. The roads connect Plateau to Benue and Nasarawa. Security presence is thin. The forests provide cover. The pattern repeats because the routes are poorly patrolled and the ransom economy remains profitable.
The victims were part of a delegation of persons with disabilities. They were travelling from Plateau to Benue State. They were to attend a programme convened by the Benue governor. Along the way, they learned the programme had been postponed. They turned back towards Jos. Around Riyom, gunmen intercepted their vehicle.
There were nine people in the vehicle. Seven escaped. Two were taken. One is male, the other female. The abductors contacted the victims’ association leader around 7am on Tuesday. They used one of the victims’ phones. They demanded ₦50 million.
Ishaya Ayuba Danjatau, a member of the Nigeria Association of the Blind, confirmed the incident. Shindol Aaron, chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities in Plateau, also confirmed it. He said the victims were selected for the training. He said seven escaped and two were abducted. The police spokesperson, Alabo Alfred, did not respond to inquiries.
Winners: The abductors, who gained hostages. No one else. Losers: The two victims, who remain in captivity. Their families. The disability community, which lost members to violence. The seven who escaped, who face trauma. The police, whose silence is noted. Travellers on Riyom Road, who remain at risk.
Bottom Line: Two blind people were abducted while returning from a cancelled programme. Seven escaped. The kidnappers want ₦50 million. The police have not commented. Plateau’s roads are not safe for anyone, least of all the vulnerable.