Kidnap Victims NOT UTME Students – Police, JAMB
The Benue State Police Command and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board have issued separate clarifications stating that passengers abducted along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road on April 15 were not students travelling to sit the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The statements, both released on Saturday, aimed to correct widespread media and social media reports that had described the victims as UTME candidates.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the Benue State Command, DSP Edet Udeme, said the victims were passengers in a Makurdi-bound commercial bus and not part of any organised convoy of examination candidates. “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,” the statement read.
JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, provided additional detail, identifying the victims as participants in an ongoing police recruitment exercise who were returning to Otukpo at the time of the incident. He expressed concern that the misidentification had subjected the board to unwarranted public criticism.
“It is regrettable that, in moments like this, there is a tendency to hastily malign government institutions, particularly JAMB, without proper verification of facts. Such premature conclusions appear, at times, to be driven more by a desire to assign blame than to seek truth,” Benjamin said.
He further argued that the operational structure of the UTME made the initial narrative implausible. “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. That such a flawed account gained widespread traction highlights the need for greater responsibility in information dissemination.”
Benjamin called on those who propagated the unverified claims to issue a public apology to the board, while stressing that the victims’ identity did not lessen 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, rather than serve as an opportunity to disparage institutions,” 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 adjoining areas. DSP Udeme said the multi-agency operation involved a targeted search-and-rescue mission, though she did not disclose the exact number of victims freed. Those recovered are receiving medical attention.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Ifeanyi Emenari, assured residents that efforts to rescue any remaining victims remain ongoing and urged the public to provide credible and timely information to support security operations.