Benue JAMB candidates kidnapping: gunmen abduct 14 students en route to Otukpo exam centre as security agencies launch rescue operation

Unidentified gunmen on Thursday reportedly abducted at least 14 candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) in Benue State after attacking a commercial bus travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo, in a disturbing incident that has triggered a major security response.

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Abduction of Exam Candidates in Benue occurred along the busy route when armed men intercepted the vehicle, which was conveying mainly young students heading to Otukpo to sit for their examinations.

Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the incident in Makurdi, stating that the victims were en route to the examination centre when the attackers struck in what he described as a brutal and shocking assault.

Ogiri explained that security operatives had been deployed to the area, with coordinated efforts already underway to track the assailants and secure the release of the abducted candidates.

“The victims are young people coming to Otukpo to write JAMB. Security agents have been deployed and efforts are ongoing to rescue them,” he said.

The incident has heightened concern among residents over rising insecurity on major travel routes, particularly those used by students and commuters.

Authorities have yet to confirm further details regarding the identities of the abductors or the condition of the victims, while security agencies continue search-and-rescue operations in the affected area.