Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for eight candidates who were recently kidnapped and later rescued.
The governor made the call on Sunday while receiving 13 rescued victims at the Government House in Makurdi, following their release in the early hours of the day.
Alia described the affected students as victims of circumstance who should not be disadvantaged due to the incident.
“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.
“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.”
The governor explained that 15 of the 18 passengers aboard a Benue Links bus were abducted last Wednesday night along the Taraku–Otukpo route, spanning Gwer East and Otukpo local government areas.
He directed the state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche, to ensure the victims receive medical attention at the state university teaching hospital in Makurdi before being reunited with their families.
Alia also commended security agencies for their role in the rescue operation, noting their continued efforts in tackling kidnapping across the state.
He disclosed that seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident and urged authorities to intensify operations against criminal elements.
“Our people deserve to live in peace.”
Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, said the successful rescue was achieved through joint efforts between security agencies and local communities.
The victims, including UTME candidates, were reportedly travelling to Otukpo ahead of their examination when they were abducted by gunmen.
Meanwhile, JAMB had earlier stated that none of its candidates were among those kidnapped. However, a relative of one of the victims criticised the board’s position, accusing it of failing to properly verify the situation before issuing its statement.
Article Reschedule exams for kidnapped UTME candidates – Alia urges JAMB Live On NgGossips.
