Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue State, has called on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for eight candidates who were recently kidnapped.
The students were among passengers abducted last Wednesday along the Makurdi–Otukpo road. According to the governor, a total of 15 people were kidnapped during the attack, with two victims managing to escape shortly afterward.
Speaking at the Government House in Makurdi on Sunday, Alia confirmed that the remaining victims were successfully rescued in the early hours of the day by security operatives, with support from local communities.
He appealed to JAMB to make special arrangements for the affected students, ensuring they are given another opportunity to sit for their examinations.
However, earlier statements from both the police and JAMB had contradicted reports that the victims were UTME candidates. Authorities clarified that the individuals were actually returning from a police recruitment exercise in Makurdi at the time of the incident.
Despite the clarification, the governor maintained his appeal for consideration for the eight young individuals reportedly affected.
