By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
At least 14 students traveling to sit for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) have been abducted by suspected gunmen along the Makurdi-Otukpo road, authorities confirmed Thursday.
The attack occurred Wednesday night when the candidates’ bus was intercepted by gunmen. According to multiple reports, the victims were predominantly young girls and boys en route to their examination centers.
Anene Sewuese, police spokesperson for Benue State Command, confirmed the incident to TheCable but declined to provide specific details. “You said you want to confirm. It is confirmed,” she said in a brief telephone statement.
One passenger and the bus driver managed to escape the abduction, according to PUNCH newspaper. Benue Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari reportedly confirmed that 14 passengers were taken.
The police command has launched an investigation into the incident, particularly examining the circumstances surrounding the journey, Emenari said.
Maxwell Ogiri, chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, confirmed that security operatives have been deployed to the affected area.
The abduction comes as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) begins this year’s UTME nationwide today, with approximately 2.2 million candidates expected to sit for the examination across 966 computer-based test centers.
On Tuesday, Inspector General of Police Tunji Disu ordered the deployment of rapid response teams to CBT centers across 15 states in a preemptive security measure.
