Gunmen abducted travelers on the Makurdi-Otukpo route in Benue State, including candidates for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board’s (JAMB) ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.
The victims were reportedly riding on a Benue Links bus from Makurdi to Otukpo when it was assaulted on Wednesday night.
A source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity owing to the sensitive nature of the situation, said the bus, which was carrying about 18 passengers, was stopped near Otukpo about 8 p.m. by suspected bandits, who carried the majority of the passengers into the jungle.
According to the source, the passengers were mostly young people headed to Otukpo to take the JAMB exam on Thursday.
“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who traveled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.
However, Ifeanyi Emenari, the state’s commissioner of police, stated that 14 passengers were taken, with one victim escaping.
In a phone chat with PUNCH on Thursday, Emenari said he was in Otukpo supervising the rescue operation.
“I am in Otukpo now with all my team and DPOs who are here in the bush and am heading the operation.
“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 said.
He also stated that the command had launched an investigation into the incident, specifically the circumstances preceding the journey.
According to him, the Benue Links administration prohibits night travel, yet the driver allegedly picked up clients beyond business hours.
“But as we are investigating, we are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” the CP said.
Maxwell Ogiri, chairman of the Otukpo Local Government Area, confirmed the event and said security personnel had been deployed to the area.
Ogiri said, “It is true, I’m just coming out from a security meeting, and security operatives have been moved into the forest to help rescue the kidnapped victims.
“The victims are mainly young boys and girls coming to Otukpo to write JAMB.”
