Eight passengers rescued from last Wednesday’s abduction involving a Benue Links bus have been confirmed as candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
According to reports, the victims were among those travelling to Otukpo to participate in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) when they were kidnapped.
The incident occurred on April 15, 2026, when gunmen attacked the state-owned bus and abducted several passengers. The victims regained their freedom early Sunday after spending about three days in captivity.
Among those rescued were three female candidates.
The freed victims were later taken to the Benue State Government House in Makurdi by the Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari. They arrived alongside their parents and guardians for an official reception by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The victims appeared visibly weak and shaken from their ordeal, as arrangements were being made for their formal reception.
The attack took place on Wednesday night when armed men intercepted the vehicle, forcefully taking away passengers, including youths en route to write the UTME in Otukpo.
Their identification as examination candidates contradicts earlier statements by authorities, which suggested that none of the abducted passengers were UTME candidates.
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