US EditionGov Alia receives rescued Benue Links passengers, vows security crackdown
Governor Alia said 13 remaining passengers were freed after coordinated security operations and urged JAMB to reschedule exams for eight affected candidates.
- On Sunday, April 19, 2026, security operatives rescued the final 13 passengers abducted from a Benue Links bus, bringing all 18 freed individuals to safety after four days in captivity.
- Gunmen intercepted the bus along the Makurdi-Otukpo axis on April 15, initially taking 15 of the 18 passengers hostage while robbing them before moving victims deep into the forest.
- Eight of the rescued victims were preparing for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, prompting Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia to urge the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to reschedule their exams.
- Governor Alia received the survivors at the Old Banquet Hall of Government House in Makurdi on Sunday, while Benue State Police Commissioner Ifeanyi Enemari confirmed seven suspects are in custody with investigations ongoing.
- Security agencies continue clearance operations in Amla Forest and surrounding hotspots, as Governor Alia vowed to "flush out all criminal elements" and dismantle bandit networks across Benue State.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Nigeria police rescue 18 abducted bus passengers, including exam-bound students
ABUJA, April 20 - Police in Nigeria's central Benue state said they had rescued 18 passengers abducted from a bus last week, including eight students travelling for university entrance examinations, and arrested seven suspects. Read more at straitstimes.com.
UTME Candidates: Our Abductors Beat Us, Forced Us To Drink Dirty Water
Rescued kidnap victims, including candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), on Sunday recounted their harrowing experiences of torture, hunger and inhumane treatment during four days in captivity. The victims were abducted on Wednesday along the Taraku–Otukpo road in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State during an attack on a Benue Links vehicle conveying passengers. They were eventually rescued on Sunday morning…
Benue Governor Seeks UTME Relief for Victims
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to make special arrangements for rescued Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates. He wants them to sit their exams after their recent ordeal. This UTME candidates rescue follows a tense incident along the Makurdi–Otukpo Road on 15 April 2026. Security forces freed 15 abducted passengers who had travelled in a bus o…
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