Conflicting Reports on Benue Kidnap Victims Emerge

On April 15, 2023, conflicting accounts arose concerning the kidnapping of students along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the Benue State Police Command asserted that none of the victims were candidates for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

JAMB's spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, clarified on April 18 that the individuals involved were not UTME candidates but were traveling to participate in a police recruitment exercise. However, Governor Hyacinth Alia provided a different narrative, stating that eight students had been rescued and were among those scheduled to sit for the examination.

The police spokesperson, Udem Edet, issued a statement on April 17 to clarify misinformation circulating in the media, emphasizing that the victims were not part of an organized convoy of students heading to the examination. This situation has created uncertainty regarding the identities of the victims and the circumstances surrounding their abduction.