All 13 remaining passengers abducted along the Makurdi–Otukpo road in Benue State have been rescued by security operatives, bringing the incident to a close.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Ifeanyi Emenari, confirmed the development in a message to journalists on Sunday, saying the rescued victims would be moved to Makurdi for further briefing and assessment.
The victims were abducted on Wednesday night when armed men intercepted a Benue Links bus near the Benue Burnt Bricks axis in Otukpo Local Government Area. The attackers reportedly robbed passengers before taking several of them into the bush.
Police had earlier confirmed that 14 passengers were taken, while one person escaped shortly after the attack. Five victims were also previously rescued before the latest operation led to the release of the remaining 13.
The incident had generated public concern amid conflicting reports about the identities of the victims. While initial accounts suggested that some of the passengers were candidates heading to Otukpo for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, the police later clarified that the victims were not part of any organised examination convoy. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board also said none of its registered candidates was officially listed among those abducted.
The abduction is part of a broader security challenge in Benue State, where recent weeks have seen increased cases of kidnappings, attacks, and killings across local government areas including Otukpo, Apa, and Gwer East.
Security agencies say investigations are ongoing, while efforts continue to dismantle criminal networks operating along major highways in the state.
