Benue Links Nigeria Limited has confirmed its driver — who was transporting passengers in an 18‑seater bus from Makurdi to Otukpo — has been arrested following an attack in which several passengers were abducted.
Most of the passengers were travelling to sit the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the exam required for entry to universities and similar institutions in Nigeria.
In a statement, the company’s information officer Ehi Daniel said the driver breached company rules by undertaking the trip without approval, putting passengers’ lives at risk.
He said the driver and a few passengers escaped during the attack, while 15 others were initially taken. Two of the abductees later escaped, leaving 13 still unaccounted for.
The statement said the incident occurred on the night of Wednesday 15 April 2026 in the Ikobi area of Otukpo local government area, Benue State.
It added that the journey contravened a standing company directive prohibiting travel after 6pm because of security concerns, and that the trip was not recorded so the company lacks full details of all affected passengers.
“The driver involved is presently in police custody and investigations are ongoing to ascertain the full circumstances surrounding the incident,” the company said, adding that the general manager, Comrade Alexander Fanafa, sympathises with the families of the affected passengers.
The firm said it is working with security agencies to secure the safe release of those abducted and reiterated its commitment to passenger safety and strict enforcement of operational policies.
The Benue State Police Command, through its public relations officer DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the driver’s arrest and said efforts were under way to rescue the remaining victims.
She said several tactical teams, including an anti‑kidnapping unit, the command management team and other agencies had been deployed to track the abductors, rescue the passengers and arrest other suspects.
