Benue kidnap: JAMB denies victims were UTME candidates amid confusion

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has dismissed widespread claims that travellers abducted in Benue State were candidates of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), clarifying that the victims were not linked to the examination process.

In a statement issued on Saturday, JAMB spokesperson Fabian Benjamin said the abducted individuals had been “erroneously alleged” to be UTME candidates, following reports that gained traction after the incident.

The victims were kidnapped by gunmen along the Makurdi–Otukpo road while travelling in a commercial vehicle, in an attack that initially sparked fears that students heading for the national examination were targeted.

However, JAMB clarified that the passengers were participants in an ongoing police recruitment exercise and were returning to Otukpo at the time of the abduction, not travelling for any UTME examination.

The board criticised what it described as the rapid spread of unverified claims linking the incident to its examination schedule, noting that such reports unfairly drew public backlash against the agency.

It stressed that the structure of UTME makes it unlikely for candidates to travel together in groups to the same centre, casting further doubt on the earlier narrative.

Also corroborating the clarification, the Benue State Police Command said the victims were not part of any organised UTME-bound group, but ordinary passengers on a commercial journey.

Security agencies have since launched rescue operations, with reports indicating that some victims have been freed while efforts continue to secure the release of others still in captivity.

JAMB, while expressing relief over the rescue of some abductees, urged the public to verify information before dissemination, warning that misinformation in sensitive situations could undermine institutions and distort public understanding.