Two UTME candidates abducted from a commercial bus in Benue State have regained their freedom after escaping from their captors, while security agencies intensify efforts to rescue other victims still in captivity.
Police authorities disclosed that a coordinated operation has been launched to locate the kidnappers and ensure the safe return of those still being held.
Investigators also clarified that early reports claiming all the passengers were candidates heading for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination were inaccurate.
A spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, said intelligence and tactical units have been mobilised to pursue the attackers and secure the victims’ release.
“Security teams have already been deployed to strategic locations, and the anti-kidnapping unit is working with other agencies to track those responsible,” Edet said.
“The priority at the moment is the safe rescue of every victim involved.”
Authorities explained that the vehicle involved in the incident was a Toyota Hiace bus operated by Benue Links Limited, bearing registration number BGT 234 S4.
According to preliminary findings, the driver allegedly breached the transport company’s operational guidelines by embarking on an unauthorised late-night trip.
Investigators further revealed that passengers were picked up along the route without proper documentation or a formal passenger manifest, a move said to violate the company’s standard procedures.
Police sources added that the attackers reportedly intercepted the vehicle, dispossessed passengers of their belongings and forced them into the surrounding bush before fleeing the scene.
An eyewitness familiar with the development said the bus had roughly 18 occupants at the time of the attack, most of them young travellers heading toward Otukpo.
“The vehicle ran into armed men on the road during the journey. In the confusion that followed, the attackers robbed the passengers and took several of them away,” NAIJAONPOINT said.
Meanwhile, the management of Benue Links confirmed that the driver is currently in police custody and undergoing interrogation over the circumstances surrounding the journey.
The company’s General Manager, Alexander Fanafa, stated that the driver ignored an established directive prohibiting night travel after 6 p.m.
“Our internal rules clearly forbid drivers from embarking on trips late in the evening because of security risks,” Fanafa said.
“Anyone who violates that rule automatically becomes a person of interest if something goes wrong.”
He explained that the driver reportedly left the motor park after official operations had ended and picked up passengers despite the absence of park supervision.
Local authorities have also acknowledged the incident. Chairman of the Otukpo Local Government Council, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed that the attack occurred during the evening hours and said security agencies were already working to secure the release of the remaining victims.
The incident occurred between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Wednesday along the Benue Burnt Bricks axis in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Police say investigations are ongoing, while residents have been urged to remain calm and provide useful information that could help security forces track down the kidnappers.