Gunmen have seized 18 passengers, the majority of them students travelling to sit the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, after attacking a commercial vehicle along Otukpo Road in Benue State on Tuesday night.
The driver and one passenger managed to break free as the attackers marched the remaining victims into nearby bushes. As of the time this report was filed, none of the kidnapped passengers had been accounted for, and their identities, alongside the exact location of the attack, had yet to be officially confirmed.
The incident has deepened anxiety over security conditions in Otukpo, a major town in Benue South that has recorded repeated kidnappings and armed assaults along key travel routes in recent years.
Residents who spoke on the attack described it as terrifying and raised fresh questions about the safety of travellers within the region.
The Benue State Police Command stated that it had not received any report of the attack at the time of filing. Attempts to reach the Information Officer of Benue Links transport company, John Ehi, were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or respond to text messages sent to him.
No official statement had been released by authorities as of the time this report was filed.
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