Troops of the Nigerian Army have successfully freed 13 passengers abducted from a Benue Links commercial bus along the Makurdi–Otukpo road earlier in the week.
The victims were located in the early hours of Sunday during a coordinated search-and-rescue operation in a forest in Okete Ward, Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Initial reports suggested that some of those kidnapped were candidates travelling to sit for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
However, this claim has since been challenged by authorities.
The agency reported that three of the 17 passengers abducted had earlier escaped and reunited with their families, while security operatives continue efforts to rescue the remaining victims.
Following their rescue, the passengers were taken to a general hospital in Otukpo for treatment after sustaining injuries during their ordeal.
Although earlier accounts indicated that eight of the victims were UTME candidates, both the Benue State Police Command and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have dismissed the claim.
Police spokesperson, Superintendent Udeme Edet, described the reports as inaccurate.
“Reports describing the victims as UTME candidates were misinformation and incorrect,” he said.
Similarly, JAMB’s Public Communications Adviser, Dr Fabian Benjamin, clarified that the victims were not examination candidates.
He explained that those involved had travelled to Makurdi for a police recruitment exercise and were on their way back to Otukpo when the attack occurred.
