KEY POINTS
- Gunmen Ambush Bus Carrying UTME Candidates
- Driver Arrested for Violating Travel Policy
- Security Forces Launch Rescue Operation in Otukpo Forest
Suspected kidnappers have abducted 14 passengers, including candidates sitting for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, following an attack on a Benue Links commercial bus in Benue State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening, April 15, between 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., along the Benue Burnt Bricks axis in Otukpo Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses said the gunmen ambushed the vehicle, dispossessed passengers of their belongings, and forced them into a nearby forest.
The bus was reportedly carrying about 18 passengers, most of whom were young individuals en route to Otukpo to write their UTME examinations scheduled for Thursday. The driver and one passenger managed to escape the attack.
Confirming the incident, the General Manager of Benue Links, Alexander Fanafa, disclosed that the driver had been taken into custody for violating company regulations that prohibit travel after 6:00 p.m. He explained that the driver picked up passengers after the park had officially closed, despite repeated warnings against night journeys.
Fanafa added that drivers who flout such directives would be treated as primary suspects in the event of any security breach.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Otukpo LGA, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed that security operatives have launched a search operation in the surrounding forest to rescue the abducted victims, most of whom are students.
Benue State Launch Rescue Operations
Meanwhile, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, said he is personally overseeing the rescue efforts. He confirmed that 14 passengers were kidnapped while one escaped and assured that investigations are ongoing, particularly into the circumstances surrounding the driver’s actions.
He further stated that security personnel have been deployed to the area and are working to ensure the safe return of the victims.
