Suspected gunmen have abducted at least 15 passengers, including Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates, from a commercial bus in Benue State just hours before the 2026 examination commenced nationwide.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the abduction of 15 passengers by suspected gunmen along the Makurdi–Otukpo highway. The attack took place on April 15, 2026, around 8:30 p.m., when Benue Links driver Peter Ikwe alerted the Divisional Police Officer in Otukpo about the incident.
The driver was operating a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BGT 224 SA, travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo, when the vehicle was attacked near the Operation Whirl Stroke barracks, with 18 passengers on board. The attackers blocked the highway and dragged 15 passengers into the nearby bush, while a few others managed to escape.
Following the distress call, patrol and tactical teams were immediately deployed to the location, while joint security operatives began combing surrounding bushes to locate the victims and track down the kidnappers.
The abduction is particularly alarming given its timing. The 2026 UTME commenced nationwide on Thursday, April 16, with more than 2.2 million candidates expected to sit the examination across accredited centres. Some of the abducted passengers were UTME candidates travelling to their examination centres.
The attack comes amid a broader security concern in Benue State. The Guardian reports how JAMB and the Nigeria Police Force had dismissed circulating safety concerns as unfounded, with police confirming that security had been beefed up at all centres, particularly in flashpoints.
The Makurdi–Otukpo corridor has been a repeated target for kidnappers in recent months, with multiple attacks recorded on commercial vehicles along the route. Rescue efforts were ongoing as of the time of this report.