Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted passengers, including candidates sitting for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, along the Makurdi–Otukpo road in Benue State.
The victims were travelling in a Benue Links bus when the vehicle was reportedly ambushed on Wednesday night near Otukpo. The bus, which had about 18 passengers on board, was said to have been intercepted by armed men who forced most occupants into the nearby forest.
Most of the passengers were young people heading to Otukpo to sit for the examination scheduled for Thursday. Two individuals, including the driver and one passenger, reportedly escaped during the attack.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed that 14 passengers were abducted, adding that security operatives had launched a rescue operation in the area.
He explained that he was personally coordinating efforts in Otukpo alongside divisional police officers as search operations continued in surrounding forested areas.
The police chief also noted that the transport company involved discourages night travel, suggesting the vehicle may have picked up passengers outside approved travel hours.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, also confirmed the incident, stating that security agencies had been deployed to track down the attackers and rescue the victims.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, while residents have expressed concern over repeated attacks along the Makurdi–Otukpo highway in recent months.
