Benue governor tells JAMB to reschedule UTME for kidnapped candidates

Hyacinth Alia has urged the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to consider rescheduling the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination for eight candidates reportedly affected by a recent kidnapping incident in Benue State.

The governor made the appeal following the abduction of passengers along the Makurdi–Otukpo road last Wednesday. The victims were later rescued during a security operation carried out in a forest located in Okere ward, within Ohimini Local Government Area.

Benue Kidnap Incident and Rescue Details

Addressing journalists at the Government House in Makurdi on Sunday, Alia explained that 15 individuals were initially kidnapped during the incident. He noted that two of the victims managed to escape earlier, while the remaining 13 were eventually freed by troops of the Nigerian Army with assistance from local residents.

“Many of the students were travelling to Otukpo. Seven were regular passengers, and 15 were kidnapped that fateful day. One of the victims escaped, and another one escaped the following day,” the governor said.

“Today, all the remaining 13 kidnap victims were rescued by the security agents with the cooperation of the communities.

“I call on JAMB to look into the case of the eight young students and reschedule dates for them to write their examination.”

Despite the governor’s remarks, earlier statements from authorities have challenged claims that the abducted individuals were UTME candidates. The Benue State Police Command, through its spokesperson Udeme Edet, described such reports as “misinformation and incorrect.”

Similarly, JAMB’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, stated that the travelers were not examination candidates but were returning from a police recruitment exercise in Makurdi at the time of the incident.