Benue Abduction: 8 Rescued Victims Confirmed As UTME Candidates

According to Ireporter Online, eight of the passengers rescued from last Wednesday’s Benue Links bus abduction have been confirmed as candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), contradicting earlier official claims that none of the victims were examination candidates.

The victims were among those abducted on April 15, 2026, while travelling to Otukpo to participate in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). They regained freedom early Sunday after spending about three days in captivity.

Reports indicate that three of the rescued candidates are female. The freed passengers were later taken to the Benue State Government House in Makurdi by the Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, where they were received alongside their parents and guardians in preparation for an official reception by Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The victims were seen in a visibly exhausted state following their ordeal, as documentation processes were carried out ahead of their formal presentation.

The abduction occurred when armed men intercepted a Benue Links state-owned bus on Wednesday night, reportedly whisking away multiple passengers, including young people heading to sit for the UTME in Otukpo.

The latest identification of some of the victims as examination candidates has raised fresh questions around initial statements from authorities regarding the identities of those abducted.