Fourteen passengers, among them candidates preparing to sit the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, were abducted by gunmen along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State on Wednesday night, with security operatives currently combing nearby forests in a rescue operation.

The victims were travelling aboard a Benue Links bus from Makurdi to Otukpo when gunmen intercepted the vehicle at approximately 8 p.m. near Otukpo. The bus was carrying 18 passengers at the time of the attack, and most occupants were forcibly taken into the bush.

A source familiar with the incident, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said that the passengers were largely young people heading to write the UTME scheduled for Thursday. "Two people, including the driver, managed to escape. The passengers were mainly young men and women going to write JAMB," the source disclosed.

The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed the abduction, noting that 14 passengers were taken while one victim escaped. Emenari added that he was personally coordinating the rescue effort on the ground. "I am in Otukpo now with my team. We are in the bush coordinating the rescue operation," he stated, confirming that investigations were ongoing.

The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, revealed that security operatives had been deployed across the area and were actively searching nearby forests for the victims.

Police also noted that Benue Links operates a policy against night travel, but the driver allegedly conveyed passengers outside official operating hours.

The attack is the latest in a series of security incidents across Benue State, following deadly assaults in communities in Apa and Gwer East local government areas, where several residents were killed and displaced. Security agencies have since intensified operations across affected areas.