Gunmen abduct UTME candidates, others in Benue

Gunmen have abducted passengers, including candidates of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination being conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination, along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State.

The victims were said to be travelling in a Benue Links bus from Makurdi to Otukpo when the vehicle was attacked on Wednesday night.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said the bus, which was conveying about 18 passengers, was intercepted near Otukpo around 8 pm by suspected bandits who took most of the occupants into the bush.

According to the source, the passengers were mainly young persons heading to Otukpo to sit for the JAMB Examination scheduled for Thursday.

Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.

However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ifeanyi Emenari, said 14 passengers were abducted, adding that one victim escaped.

Emenari, who spoke in a telephone interview with PUNCH Online on Thursday, said he was in Otukpo coordinating the rescue operation.