Suspected gunmen have abducted 14 passengers, mostly candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road in Benue State.
Newsonspot gathered that the victims were reportedly travelling to Otukpo on Wednesday night to sit for their examination scheduled for Thursday, April 16, when the attackers struck between 7 pm and 8 pm.
Sources disclosed that the gunmen intercepted a commercial bus operated by Benue Links and forcefully took away the passengers. The driver and one other individual managed to escape during the attack.
Confirming the incident, Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, stated that the victims were young candidates heading to write their JAMB examination.
He assured that security agencies have been deployed to the area, with ongoing efforts to rescue the abducted passengers.
Also speaking, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Enemari, said he is personally leading the rescue operation alongside his team.
“I am currently in Otukpo. My team, including all Divisional Police Officers, are in the bush as we intensify efforts to locate and rescue the victims,” he said.
Enemari further revealed that the vehicle involved may have been operating outside approved hours. According to him, Benue Links buses do not usually run at night, suggesting the driver may have picked up passengers after official operations had closed.
Security agencies have since intensified search efforts in the area, as authorities work to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped victims.
