Gunmen have kidnapped several passengers, including candidates sitting for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night when armed attackers intercepted a Benue Links bus traveling from Makurdi to Otukpo.
The vehicle was carrying approximately 18 passengers, mostly young people heading to Otukpo for the JAMB exam scheduled for Thursday.
According to eyewitness accounts, the bus was stopped near Otukpo around 8 pm. The gunmen forced most of the occupants into the bush. The driver and one passenger managed to escape.
Benue State Police Commissioner, Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed that 14 passengers were abducted, with one escaping.
Speaking from Otukpo on Thursday, where he is personally leading the rescue operation alongside his team and divisional police officers, Emenari said:
“What happened was that one Benue Links bus carrying passengers coming to Otukpo was stopped and attacked by hoodlums and 14 passengers were kidnapped but one was able to escape.”
He noted that the command is investigating why the bus was on the road at night, as Benue Links has a policy against night travel. Security forces have been deployed into the forest to rescue the victims.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, also verified the abduction, stating that security operatives were mobilized immediately after a security meeting.“The victims are mainly young boys and girls coming to Otukpo to write JAMB,” Ogiri said.
This latest attack adds to a series of similar incidents on the Makurdi-Otukpo road in recent months, raising concerns about the safety of travelers in the area, especially during critical examination periods.
Authorities continue to search for the abducted candidates and other passengers.
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