Eight passengers rescued from last week’s abduction involving a Benue Links bus have now been confirmed as candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
The victims were among those kidnapped on April 15, 2026, while travelling to Otukpo to participate in the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). They regained their freedom in the early hours of Sunday after spending about three days in captivity.
Reports indicate that three of the rescued candidates are female.
Following their release, the victims were 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 hosted by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The rescued individuals appeared visibly fatigued after their ordeal, as officials began documentation procedures ahead of their formal engagement with the state government.
The abduction occurred when armed men intercepted a Benue Links bus transporting passengers on Wednesday night. Several travellers, including young people en route to sit for the UTME in Otukpo, were taken by the attackers.
The confirmation that some of the victims were UTME candidates contradicts earlier statements from authorities, which had suggested that none of those abducted were examination candidates.
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