BREAKING: Benue Police, JAMB Clarify Abducted Passengers on Makurdi-Otukpo Road Were Not UTME Candidates

The Benue State Police Command and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) have debunked widespread reports claiming that passengers abducted along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road on April 15, 2026, were students traveling to sit for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

The two institutions issued separate statements on Saturday to correct the misinformation that had circulated widely on news platforms and social media.

In a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Edet Udeme, the police clarified that the victims were not part of any organised UTME-bound student convoy.

The statement read, “The command states that this claim is incorrect, as the victims were not confirmed to be part of any organised UTME-bound student convoy, but passengers in a Makurdi-bound bus.”

JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, provided further details, identifying the abducted passengers as participants in an ongoing police recruitment exercise who were returning to Otukpo at the time of the incident.

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Benjamin expressed regret over the hasty conclusions that unfairly maligned JAMB, urging those who spread the false narrative to publicly apologise to the board for the damage to its reputation.

“It is regrettable that, in moments like this, there is a tendency to hastily malign government institutions, particularly JAMB, without proper verification of facts,” he said.

He noted that the structure of the UTME makes it highly unlikely for candidates who know one another to be assigned to the same examination centre or to travel together, describing the initial claims as flawed from the outset.

Benjamin stressed that the identity or purpose of the victims’ journey does not diminish the gravity of the crime.

“Regardless of their identity or purpose of travel, no Nigerian deserves to be subjected to kidnapping,” he added.

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“Such incidents should unite us in concern and compassion, rather than serve as an opportunity to disparage institutions,” he said.

He called on citizens to verify facts before drawing conclusions or assigning blame.

Meanwhile, the police have made significant progress in the rescue operation.

DSP Udeme confirmed that seven suspects have been arrested, while some victims have been rescued during a joint security operation in Amla Forest and surrounding areas.

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