There is palpable fear in Benue State following reports that several Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates were part of a group of passengers abducted by suspected bandits on Wednesday night.
The abducted UTME candidates and other victims were traveling in a Benue Links commercial bus along the notorious Makurdi–Otukpo road when they were intercepted by armed bandits near the Otukpo area.
The incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. as the students were heading to their designated centers to sit for the 2026 UTME scheduled for Thursday morning.
According to eyewitnesses and local sources, the gunmen barricaded the highway and forced the occupants of the vehicle into the nearby forest.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said the bus, which was conveying about 18 passengers, was intercepted near Otukpo around 8 pm by suspected bandits who took most of the occupants into the bush.
“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.
However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ifeanyi Emenari, said 14 passengers were abducted, adding that one victim escaped.
Emenari said he was in Otukpo coordinating the rescue operation.
“I am in Otukpo now with all my team and DPOs who are here in the bush and I 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 added that the command had commenced an investigation into the incident, particularly the circumstances surrounding the journey.
According to him, the Benue Links management has a policy against night travel, but the driver allegedly picked up passengers after official hours.
“But as we are investigating, we are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” the CP said.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, also confirmed the incident, saying security operatives had been deployed to the area.
Ogiri said, “It is true, I’m just coming out of a security meeting, and security operatives have been moved into the forest to help rescue the kidnapped victims.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this adds to the numerous cases of insecurity in Nigeria.
Nigeria witnessed several cases of abductions last year. On Monday, November 17, 2025, terrorists attacked a girls’ boarding school, Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in the Danko Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi state.
During the attack, 25 schoolgirls were initially abducted, with reports revealing that the school’s Vice Principal was killed.
Days after, terrorists again attacked St. Mary’s School, a Catholic co-educational institution in the Papiri community, Agwara Local Government Area, of Niger State on Friday, November 21, 2025.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) stated then that a total of 315 people were abducted; 303 students (both male and female, aged 10 to 18) and 12 teachers.
