Police and JAMB Clarify Kidnap Victims' Identity

On April 15, a kidnapping incident occurred along the Makurdi-Otukpo road, leading to widespread claims that the victims were candidates traveling for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The Benue State Police Command and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) issued separate statements on Saturday to clarify that the victims were not part of any UTME-bound student convoy.

DSP Edet Udem confirmed that the victims were returning from a police recruitment exercise. JAMB's spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, expressed regret over the misidentification and the subsequent public criticism directed at the board.

He emphasized the importance of verifying facts before drawing conclusions and stated that the claims linking the incident to the examination schedule were unfounded. The police confirmed the arrest of seven suspects and the rescue of the victims, who received medical attention.

Ifeanyi Emenari, the police commissioner, assured the public of ongoing efforts to rescue any remaining victims.