The Police Command in Benue State has confirmed the abduction of 14 passengers, mainly Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) candidates, going for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), en route from Makurdi to Otukpo Local Government Area.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed the abduction to newsmen on Thursday in Makurdi.
Emenari said the passengers who were travelling on a Benue Links bus were abducted on Wednesday night.
The CP said that he was in Otukpo and had mobilised a team of policemen in the area, including Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), in a bid to rescue the victims.
He stated that out of the 14 passengers, one was able to escape.
“I’m in Otukpo now, with my team, and DPOs are here in the bush, and I am heading the operation.
“What happened was that a 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.
“We know that Benue Links has a policy that they don’t usually drive at night. So from what I got, they had already closed (for the day), but the driver, for reasons best known to him, still moved in the night.
“We are still trying to find out why he moved in the night and the passengers he picked up along the road.
“But as we are investigating, we are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” he promised.
