By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Gunmen have abducted passengers, including candidates of the ongoing Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination, along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State.
The victims were said to be travelling in a Benue Links bus from Makurdi to Otukpo when the vehicle was attacked on Wednesday night.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said the bus, which was conveying about 18 passengers, was intercepted near Otukpo around 8 pm by suspected bandits who took most of the occupants into the bush.
According to the source, the passengers were mainly young persons heading to Otukpo to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for Thursday.
“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.
However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ifeanyi Emenari, said 14 passengers were abducted, adding that one victim escaped.
Emenari, who spoke in a telephone interview with Punch Online on Thursday, said he was in Otukpo coordinating the rescue operation.
“I am in Otukpo now with all my team and DPOs who are here in the bush and am heading the operation.
“What happened was that one Benue Links bus carrying passengers coming to Otukpo was stopped and attacked by hoodlums and 14 passengers were kidnapped but one was able to escape,” he said.
He added that the command had commenced an investigation into the incident, particularly the circumstances surrounding the journey.
According to him, the Benue Links management has a policy against night travel, but the driver allegedly picked up passengers after official hours.
“But as we are investigating, we are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” the CP said.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, also confirmed the incident, saying security operatives had been deployed to the area.
Ogiri said, “It is true, I’m just coming out from a security meeting, and security operatives have been moved into the forest to help rescue the kidnapped victims.
“The victims are mainly young boys and girls coming to Otukpo to write JAMB.”
Passengers travelling along the Makurdi-Otukpo road have faced repeated attacks by gunmen in recent months.
The Punch