MAKURDI, BENUE STATE– The Benue State Authorities Command and the Joint Admissions and Admission Board (JAMB) have actually unmasked reports claiming that the 18 passengers abducted along the Makurdi-Otukpo roadway on April 15 were trainees taking a trip for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Evaluation (UTME).
In separate statements released on Saturday, April 18, both agencies clarified that the victims were actually participants in a current cops recruitment exercise, successfully stopping the wave of social media false information that had actually drawn sharp criticism versus the examination board.
Police and JAMB Set the Record Straight
Police spokesperson Edet Udeme dealt with the inaccuracies head-on, specifying that the victims were travelers in a Makurdi-bound bus and were not part of any organised student convoy for the national exams.
Corroborating the cops report, JAMB representative Fabian Benjamin exposed that the people were going back to Otukpo from a cops recruitment exercise when the ambush occurred.
Benjamin revealed remorse over the rush with which some platforms “malign federal government organizations” without fact-checking.
Read likewise: Hijab Constraints at JAMB Centres: A Recurring Violation That Demands Immediate Responsibility.
The Gravity of the Crime
While the identities of the victims have actually been clarified, both agencies emphasised that the change in narrative does not decrease the disaster of the occasion.
“Regardless of their identity or purpose of travel, no Nigerian is worthy of to be subjected to kidnapping. Such occurrences need to unite us in concern and compassion,” Benjamin specified.
Security Outlook in Benue South
The occurrence continues to fuel issues relating to the safety of the Makurdi– Otukpo highway, an important artery that has seen a rise in criminal activity.
The Benue State Cops Command has actually magnified efforts to track the kidnappers and protect the release of the 18 passengers.
Security patrols have actually supposedly been increased along the Otukpo axis to prevent more ambushes, particularly as the 2026 UTME begins across the country.
Since Saturday night, the families of the abducted hires stay in a state of anxiety, awaiting word from the authorities or the captors.
The military and police are stated to be coordinating “bush combing” operations in the surrounding forest areas where the victims were reportedly marched.