Initial accounts had indicated that many of the passengers were young people heading to Otukpo for their UTME scheduled for the following day.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has said that individuals recently kidnapped in Benue State were not candidates of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), contrary to earlier reports.
The clarification follows days of reports suggesting that the victims were candidates travelling to sit for the UTME.
Gunmen had attacked a commercial bus along the Makurdi-Otukpo road on Wednesday night, abducting about 14 passengers after stopping the vehicle and forcing occupants into nearby bushes.
Initial accounts indicated that many of the passengers were young people heading to Otukpo for the examination scheduled for the following day.
The police later confirmed the abduction, stating a rescue operation had been launched in nearby forests.
The narrative also gained traction after relatives of some victims publicly identified them as UTME candidates.
A family member said two teenage brothers were among those abducted while travelling for the examination, describing the situation as distressing.
“The victims include my two younger brothers. They are just teenagers,” the relative said, adding that one of the victims’ phones was recovered from the abandoned vehicle.
Reports at the time also indicated that most passengers on the bus were believed to be students travelling for the UTME.
However, JAMB clarified that the victims were participants in a police recruitment exercise and not students travelling for examinations.
“Notably, none of the victims were UTME candidates. Rather, they were individuals who had traveled to Makurdi to participate in the ongoing police recruitment exercise and were returning to Otukpo at the time of the incident,” the statement said.
The board added that seven of the victims had been rescued by security agencies, describing the development as bringing “immense relief,” while expressing hope that others still in captivity would also be freed.
It further criticised reports that linked the abduction to its examination process, describing them as unverified.
It added that “some individuals even attempted to link the incident to the Board’s examination schedule, despite clear inconsistencies in that narrative.”
It further said the initial reports lacked credibility, noting that its examination system makes such a scenario unlikely.
“The structure of UTME examinations makes it highly unlikely for candidates who know one another to be assigned to the same centre or to travel together for the exam,” the board said.
According to the board, the widespread circulation of the claim highlights “the need for greater responsibility in information dissemination.”
It added those who shared the unfounded claims should extend a public apology to JAMB.
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