Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule the UTME for eight candidates who were abducted in the state.
The v¡ctims were part of passengers kidnapped last Wednesday along the Makurdi–Otukpo road but were later rescued by security operatives during a forest operation in Ohimini LGA.
Speaking on Sunday at the Government House in Makurdi, the governor revealed that 15 people were initially kidnapped. According to him, two victims managed to escape earlier, while the remaining 13 were eventually rescued by Nigerian Army troops with support from local communities.
Alia explained that several of the victims were students travelling to sit for their exams, and urged JAMB to consider their situation by giving them another opportunity.
However, there have been conflicting reports about the identity of the victims. The Benue State Police Command, through its spokesperson Udeme Edet, described claims that they were UTME candidates as misinformation.
Also, JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin stated that the travellers were actually returning from a police recruitment exercise in Makurdi at the time of the incident.
The situation has sparked mixed reactions, with many calling for clarity while others continue to push for support for the affected individuals.
[Benuevibes]
