Gunmen have abducted passengers, including candidates sitting for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State.
The victims were travelling in a Benue Links bus from Makurdi to Otukpo on Wednesday night when suspected bandits ambushed the vehicle near Otukpo around 8 p.m., according to witnesses.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the bus was carrying about 18 passengers, mostly young men and women heading to Otukpo to sit for the examination scheduled for Thursday.
“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape,” the source said. “The passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today.”
The Benue State Police Command confirmed that 14 passengers were abducted, with one victim escaping.
Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari said he was leading a rescue operation in Otukpo.
“I am in Otukpo now with my team and DPOs. We are combing the bush and coordinating efforts to rescue the victims,” he said.
He added that investigations had begun into the circumstances of the attack, including claims that the bus travelled at night despite transport guidelines discouraging night movement.
“The Benue Links policy does not encourage night travel, but we are investigating all aspects of what happened,” he said. “We are on the ground to ensure the victims are rescued.”
Otukpo Local Government Chairman Maxwell Ogiri also confirmed the incident, saying security operatives had been deployed to the area.
“The victims are mainly young boys and girls coming to Otukpo to write JAMB,” he said. “Security personnel have been moved into the forest to rescue them.”
Authorities say search and rescue operations are ongoing, while residents report repeated attacks along the Makurdi–Otukpo highway in recent months.
