Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted several candidates travelling to sit for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Benue State.
The victims were among passengers on a bus operated by the state-owned transport company, Benue Links, which was attacked on Wednesday evening along the Otukpo route.
The incident occurred between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. near the Burnt Bricks area in Otukpo, when the assailants reportedly intercepted the vehicle, robbed passengers, and forced many of them into the bush.
Eyewitnesses said the bus was carrying about 18 passengers, most of them young people heading to write their exams the following day. The driver and one passenger were able to escape during the attack.
Authorities have given varying figures for those abducted. While initial reports suggested seven victims, police later confirmed that 14 passengers were taken, with one person managing to flee.
The General Manager of Benue Links, Alexander Fanafa, confirmed the incident and revealed that the driver is currently being questioned by police for allegedly violating company policy, which prohibits travel after 6:00 p.m.
According to him, the driver had taken on passengers after official closing hours, a decision that may have exposed them to danger.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government, Maxwell Ogiri, also confirmed the attack, noting that security operatives have been deployed to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victims.
Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, said he is personally leading the operation in the area, with teams already combing nearby forests.
He added that investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the journey and the attack, while efforts continue to secure the safe release of those abducted
