A family member has cried out after two teenage brothers were identified among passengers abducted by gunmen along the Makurdi–Otukpo road in Benue State.
The incident, which occurred on Wednesday evening, involved a Benue Links bus conveying passengers, many of them candidates of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
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A user on X, identified as RaeSzn, said the victims include her two younger brothers who were travelling to Otukpo to sit for the examination.
“Nigeria has happened to me. They just kidnapped my two younger brothers on their way to Otukpo to write JAMB. They are just teenagers,” she wrote.
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She said calls to their phones were not responded to, until a police officer later answered.
According to her, the younger brother’s phone was recovered from the abandoned vehicle after it fell during the attack.
“The lastborn’s phone fell inside the abandoned vehicle. One student and the driver escaped and reported to the police. The police found it there,” she added, expressing concern that no contact had yet been made by the abductors.
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The development follows confirmation by the police that 14 passengers were kidnapped when suspected gunmen attacked the vehicle along the Benue Burnt Bricks axis of Otukpo Local Government Area between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Police Commissioner Ifeanyi Emenari said the victims were taken into the bush after the attackers intercepted the bus, while one passenger managed to escape.
“I am in Otukpo with my team and DPOs. We are in the bush heading the operation,” he said, noting that efforts were ongoing to rescue the victims.
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Eyewitnesses said the bus was carrying about 18 passengers, most of them young people travelling to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for Thursday.
The police also disclosed that investigations were underway into the circumstances surrounding the journey, as the transport company operates a policy against night travel.
The driver is reportedly being questioned for picking up passengers after official hours.
The abduction has heightened anxiety among families of the victims, particularly as no contact has been established with the kidnappers.
The incident adds to growing security concerns in Benue State, where attacks on highways and communities have persisted in recent weeks, leaving residents increasingly worried about safety, especially for students and other vulnerable travellers.
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