The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that 14 individuals abducted on the Makurdi-Otukpo road were not candidates for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). In a statement, spokesperson Fabian Benjamin said the victims were returning to Otukpo after participating in a police recruitment exercise in Makurdi, not travelling for an examination. The abduction occurred on Wednesday night when gunmen attacked a commercial bus, forcing passengers into nearby bushes before taking 14 people hostage. Initial reports suggested the victims were UTME candidates heading to Otukpo for the exam the following day, a narrative supported by family members who identified two teenage brothers among the abducted and claimed one victim's phone was found in the abandoned vehicle.
JAMB dismissed the claims as false, stating the structure of UTME makes it unlikely for candidates to travel together or even know each other's test centres. The board criticised the spread of unverified information, saying some individuals tried to link the incident to its examination schedule despite inconsistencies. Seven of the victims have been rescued by security agencies, a development JAMB described as bringing "immense relief." The board urged those who shared the false narrative to issue public apologies, saying the misinformation undermined its credibility.
JAMB is quick to distance itself from blame yet offers no empathy for the families misled by its silence in the first 48 hours. Seven victims were rescued, but the board's focus on defending its image contrasts with the distress of relatives who believed their children were sitting an exam. The claim that UTME candidates rarely travel together may be true, but it does little to address why official clarification took days. When misinformation spreads, the agency's delayed response becomes complicit in the panic.
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