Gunmen have abducted 14 passengers, many of them candidates heading to sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), after ambushing a commercial bus in Benue State.
The attack occurred on Wednesday evening along the Makurdi–Otukpo road, a few kilometres from Otukpo town, as the victims travelled for their exams scheduled on Thursday.
An 18-seater Benue Links bus was stopped by the armed men around 7 p.m. The attackers forced most passengers into a nearby forest. A source close to the incident said: “The passengers were all marched into the forest. From what we gathered, most of them were students coming to Otukpo to write JAMB exams.”
Four people, including the driver, managed to escape from the fully loaded vehicle.
Benue State Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari confirmed the abduction while leading a rescue operation on the ground. “What happened was that a Benue Links bus carrying passengers to Otukpo was stopped and attacked by hoodlums. Fourteen passengers were kidnapped, while one managed to escape,” he stated.
Emenari expressed surprise that the state-owned transport company’s bus was operating at night, contrary to its policy. “Benue Links, as a policy, does not usually travel at night. From the information I have, the company had already closed for the day, but the driver, for reasons we are still trying to ascertain, picked up passengers along the road. That is how the incident happened,” he added.
The police chief said he had mobilised tactical teams and Divisional Police Officers, declaring: “I am in Otukpo now. All my team and DPOs are in the bush, and I am personally heading the operation.” He assured that investigations were ongoing and pledged every effort to rescue the victims safely.
The abduction highlights persistent security challenges on major roads in Benue State, where banditry and kidnapping have disrupted daily life and education activities. No group has claimed responsibility and no ransom demand has been reported so far.
Security forces have launched a search in the surrounding bush as anxious families await news of the young candidates. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has not yet issued a statement on the impact to the ongoing UTME.
