- Safiu Kehinde
Suspected bandits have abducted 14 passengers, including candidates of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Benue state.
The passengers, travelling in a Benue Links Nigeria Limited bus, were reportedly abducted along the Makurdi–Otukpo road on Wednesday night.
According to a post shared on X on Thursday, an eyewitness disclosed that the bus, carrying about 18 passengers, was intercepted near Otukpo around 8 p.m. by the suspected bandits.
The passengers, who were said to be mainly young people travelling to Otukpo to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for Thursday, who marched into the bush by their abductors.
“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, the Ifeanyi Emenari, Commissioner of Police in Benue State, said 14 passengers were abdccted.
“I am in Otukpo now with all my team and DPOs who are here in the bush and am heading the operation.
“What happened was that one 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,” he said.
Emenari disclosed that investigations had begun into the circumstances surrounding the trip.
According to him, the transport company has a policy against night travel, but the driver allegedly picked up passengers after official hours. “
But as we are investigating, we are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” the police the commissioner added.