How Benue Buffalos Handball Team survived attack by armed men on the road

By James Ike

Members of the Benue Buffalos Handball Team have narrated how they survived a terrifying midnight attack by armed men while returning from the Ardova Premier Handball League in Lagos.

One of the players, who spoke as both witness and victim, said the team’s official bus was ambushed early Friday along the Otukpo–Enugu road by gunmen armed with rifles and machetes. The attackers reportedly fired several shots into the air to force the vehicle to stop, before descending on the players.

According to him, the assailants robbed the team of mobile phones, jerseys, sports canvases, a JBL music player, cash, and other personal belongings. Some of the stolen devices were said to contain sensitive personal and official information of both players and staff.

“The moment our driver opened the door, one of them stabbed him in the leg. They ordered us to lie on the ground and searched us one after the other. They even led us towards the bush. Everyone feared for their lives,” he recounted.

Relief came only with the arrival of personnel of the Nigerian Army, prompting the attackers to flee into the surrounding bush with the stolen items.

“If not for the quick response of the soldiers, we don’t know what could have happened. But because it was night and the area is bushy, the robbers escaped with everything,” another victim said.

Still shaken by the incident, the team appealed to the Benue State Government, security agencies, and relevant authorities 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 this experience. We are begging the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice,” a team member pleaded.

They also raised concerns about the poor state of the Benue State Sports Council bus, noting that the 14-seater vehicle conveyed 18 players.

“The bus is old and rickety. During the attack, 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 of the victims added.

Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.