Kidnapped victims not UTME candidates, JAMB, Police clarify
The Benue State Police Command and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have clarified that passengers abducted along the Makurdi–Otukpo Road on April 15 were not students heading for
The Benue State Police Command and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have clarified that passengers abducted along the Makurdi–Otukpo Road on April 15 were not students heading for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Both agencies issued separate statements on Saturday, countering reports circulating on social media and some news platforms linking the victims to UTME candidates.
Police spokesperson, Edet Udeme, said the claim was inaccurate, stressing that the victims were not part of any organised UTME-bound student convoy.
“The command states that this claim is incorrect, as the victims were not confirmed to be part of any organised UTME-bound student convoy, but passengers in a Makurdi-bound bus,” she said.
JAMB spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, also clarified that the individuals were participants in a police recruitment exercise who were returning to Otukpo when the incident occurred.
He added that the misinformation had unfairly drawn criticism against the board and urged those responsible for the false claims to issue an apology.
“It is regrettable that, in moments like this, there is a tendency to hastily malign government institutions, particularly JAMB, without proper verification of facts,” Benjamin said.
He added that attempts to link the incident to the UTME schedule were baseless and inconsistent with how the examination system operates.
“The structure of UTME examinations makes it highly unlikely for candidates who know one another to be assigned to the same centre or to travel together for the exam,” he explained.
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Benjamin, however, stressed that the identity of the victims does not diminish the gravity of the crime.
“Regardless of their identity or purpose of travel, no Nigerian deserves to be subjected to kidnapping. Such incidents should unite us in concern and compassion,” he said.
Meanwhile, the police confirmed that seven suspects have been arrested and some victims rescued following a joint security operation in Amla Forest and surrounding areas.
Udeme disclosed that the operation involved multiple security agencies and focused on a coordinated search-and-rescue mission, adding that rescued victims are receiving medical attention.
The Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, assured residents that efforts to rescue the remaining victims are ongoing and urged the public to provide credible information to aid the operation.
