Gunmen attacked a Benue Links commercial vehicle on Wednesday, April 15, between 7-8 p.m., along the Benue Burnt Bricks in Otukpo, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. The vehicle was carrying 18 passengers, mainly young persons heading to Otukpo to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The assailants waylaid the bus, robbed the occupants of their belongings, and kidnapped 17 candidates, including 14 who were confirmed by the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, and 3 additional candidates reported by other sources. Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape.
The General Manager of Benue Links, Mr Alexander Fanafa, confirmed the incident and stated that the driver of the bus is undergoing interrogation at the police station in Otukpo for violating the company's safety policy not to travel beyond 6:00 p.m. The Executive Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Prince Maxwell Ogiri, also confirmed the incident and said that security agents have been mobilized to rescue the victims. The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, is leading the rescue operation and has commenced an investigation into the incident.
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