How armed herdsmen abducted 15 JAMB candidates, others in Benue Links bus kidnap

By Johnson Arua

No fewer than 18 passengers, reportedly including candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), have been abducted by suspected gunmen along the Makurdi–Otukpo highway in Benue State.

The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the victims were travelling in an 18-seater Benue Links bus to Otukpo Local Government Area to sit for their examination.

Sources said the vehicle was ambushed a few kilometres to Otukpo town at about 7 p.m., as the assailants intercepted the bus and whisked the passengers into a nearby forest.

According to a local source, most of the victims were young students heading to write JAMB.

“The passengers were forced out of the vehicle and marched into the bush. From what we gathered, many of them were candidates travelling for their exams,” the source said.

The source further disclosed that the bus was fully occupied at the time of the attack, adding that only a few including the driver, escaped from the scene.

“About three persons, including the driver, managed to escape. Security operatives have since launched a search operation to rescue the victims and apprehend the attackers,” he added.

Confirming the development, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ifeanyi Emenari, said he was personally leading the rescue mission in Otukpo alongside tactical teams and Divisional Police Officers.

“I am currently in Otukpo, and all my officers, including the DPOs, are in the forest as we intensify efforts to rescue the victims,” he said.

He explained that the bus was attacked after it was stopped by armed men, who abducted the occupants.

“A Benue Links bus conveying passengers to Otukpo was intercepted by hoodlums. Fourteen passengers were kidnapped, while one escaped,” he stated.

The commissioner, however, raised concerns over the circumstances of the trip, noting that the transport company does not usually operate at night.

“Benue Links does not run night services. From available information, the company had already closed operations for the day, but the driver, for reasons yet to be determined, picked up passengers along the way. That is what led to this situation,” he said.

Emenari assured that investigations were ongoing and reiterated the command’s resolve to ensure the safe return of the abducted passengers.