Benue governor urges JAMB to reschedule UTME for abducted candidates after rescue

Governor Hyacinth Alia has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for eight candidates who were among the passengers abducted in Benue State.

The victims were kidnapped last Wednesday along the Makurdi–Otukpo road but were later rescued by Nigerian Army troops during a search-and-rescue operation in Ohimini Local Government Area.

Speaking at the Government House in Makurdi on Sunday, Alia said 15 passengers were initially abducted in the incident, with two managing to escape earlier, while the remaining 13 were freed by security operatives with support from local communities.

According to the governor, eight of those rescued were UTME candidates who had been unable to sit for their exams due to the abduction.

“I call on JAMB to look into the case of the eight young students and reschedule dates for them to write their examination,” he said.

However, the development has been clouded by conflicting accounts from authorities. The Nigeria Police Force had earlier dismissed claims that the abducted passengers were UTME candidates, describing such reports as misinformation.

See also: Troops rescue 13 abducted Benue Links bus passengers

Similarly, JAMB maintained that the victims were not examination candidates. The board’s spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, said the individuals were travelling for a police recruitment exercise and were returning to Otukpo when the incident occurred.

Despite the discrepancies, Alia’s appeal places pressure on the examination body to consider exceptional measures for those affected, especially as concerns grow over the impact of insecurity on students and academic activities across the country.