*Kidnappers Abduct Mourners, Abandon Corpse of FRSC Deputy Commander*

Armed men suspected to be kidnappers have abducted mourners who were conveying the remains of a late Deputy Corps Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Augustine O. Ikwue, to his hometown in Otukpo, Benue State.

The vehicle conveying the corpse ran into an ambush along the Ochadamu-Ejule road in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State around 6pm on Thursday.

The FRSC officer reportedly died in Osogbo, Osun State, after a brief illness.

*Corpse Recovered, Mourners Still Missing*

Kogi State Sector Commander of FRSC, Lawal Fagge, confirmed the incident, saying nine mourners, including two FRSC operatives, were abducted in the attack.

He said the corpse was later abandoned around Ejule community and has been handed over to the family for burial.

“We recovered the corpse of the officer in Ejule community on Friday after frantic searching, and handed it over to the family. He was buried on Saturday in his hometown at Otukpo in Benue,” Fagge said.

According to him, the abductors used the cellphone of the deceased officer to call his wife and demanded N450 million for the release of those in captivity.

Security operatives, including the Army, Police, hunters and vigilantes, have been mobilised to the area to rescue the victims and apprehend the attackers.

The incident has drawn condemnation, with many Nigerians expressing outrage that bandits now target even funeral processions.

“The abductors have no respect for the dead,” one resident said.