Eight Rescued Benue Kidnap Victims Identified as UTME Candidates

Eight of the passengers freed after last week’s abduction of a Benue Links bus are candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), a development that has brought renewed concern about how safe students are when travelling for examinations.

The victims were seized on April 15, 2026, while travelling to Otukpo to write the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The passengers had boarded an 18-seater commercial bus that armed assailants intercepted on the route, Ejes Gist News reported.

Eight Regain Freedom After Three Days in Captivity

The eight regained freedom in the early hours of Sunday, having spent about three days in captivity. The circumstances of their release have not been made public by the authorities.

Three of those freed are female candidates. Officials say all the victims are being attended to following the ordeal.

Police Escort Freed Victims to Makurdi Government House

The state Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, led the freed victims to the Benue State Government House in Makurdi. Their parents and guardians travelled with them, ahead of a formal welcome by Governor Hyacinth Alia.

Victims Appeared Drained, Say Government House Sources

Sources at the Government House said the victims looked visibly exhausted when they arrived, an indication of the physical and psychological strain of the abduction. Officials confirmed that documentation and profiling were still under way as part of the formal steps required before the governor meets the returnees.

Fresh Attention on Travel Risks Facing Candidates

The abduction has drawn renewed attention to the dangers candidates face when they cross state lines to write national examinations, especially in areas troubled by insecurity.

Education and security stakeholders have repeatedly urged stronger protection during examination periods, particularly for candidates whose journeys take them through high-risk routes.

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