Several passengers, including candidates travelling for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), were abducted by gunmen along the Makurdi–Otukpo highway in Benue State, raising fresh concerns over safety on the troubled route.
According to TheStar.ng, the incident occurred on Wednesday night when a Benue Links bus conveying travellers from Makurdi to Otukpo was ambushed at about 8 p.m. near Otukpo.
Sources said the vehicle was carrying about 18 passengers, many of them young students heading to sit for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination scheduled for Thursday.
An eyewitness said the attackers intercepted the bus and forced most of the passengers into the bush.
“Most of those in the bus were students travelling to write their JAMB exam today. Only the driver and one passenger escaped,” the source said.
Confirming the attack, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, said 14 passengers were abducted, while one victim managed to escape.
Emenari disclosed that he had moved to Otukpo alongside tactical teams and divisional police officers to coordinate rescue efforts. He added that security operatives had launched a search operation deep into the surrounding forests to locate the victims.
The police boss also revealed that preliminary findings indicated the trip may have breached the transport company’s no-night-travel policy, as the driver allegedly picked up passengers outside approved hours.
Despite this, he assured families that efforts were ongoing to secure the safe release of all those abducted.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the incident, noting that security personnel had been deployed into nearby forests to support rescue operations.
He added that most of the victims were young boys and girls travelling to take the UTME, heightening anxiety among families awaiting news of their loved ones.
The Makurdi–Otukpo highway has increasingly become a hotspot for criminal activity in recent months, with repeated reports of kidnappings and attacks on commuters.
Residents and road users have consistently raised alarm over the deteriorating security situation, calling for stronger surveillance, improved patrols, and stricter enforcement of travel advisories, especially restrictions on night journeys.
The latest abduction underscores growing fears about the safety of students and other vulnerable travellers, particularly during peak examination periods when movement across towns increases. #Securitynewsalert.com
