- Experts Blame Tinubu, JAMB Scheduling
Palpable hush as bus passengers including students travelling for UTME examination abducted on the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State remain in the kidnappers’ cave.
Recall that on Wednesday night, unidentified gunmen attacked a Benue Links bus and kidnapped 14 people, including candidates for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Benue, which is organized by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board.
Despite claims that two out of 14 passengers abducted around 8 p.m. escaped, twelve (12) are still in the custody of kidnappers, raising concerns about their well-being and the security of the passengers, who are primarily young people kept inside the forest.
WITHIN NIGERIA has learned that three passengers, including the driver, who escaped the bus attack on Wednesday night and were not kidnapped, were taken into custody by the police for questioning.
Despite claims that two out of 14 passengers who were abducted around 8 p.m. escaped from captivity, twelve (12) are languishing in the custody of kidnappers, raising concerns about their well-being and security of the passengers being largely young people kept inside the forest.
WITHIN NIGERIA learned that three passengers including the driver who escaped the bus attack on Wednesday night were taken into custody by the police for questioning.
Ifeanyi Emenari, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, has assured that abducted passengers will be rescued.
He disclosed that he is currently leading a search-and-rescue operation alongside other security forces to identify the victims and hunt down the kidnappers.
He revealed that tactical teams and Divisional Police Officers have been dispatched to the region to lead an extensive investigation into the situation.
Benue Links Nigeria Limited, the company that owns the bus, has not issued an official public comment regarding the incident, but reputable sources revealed that the driver was arrested for breaking company policy.
According to the company, the driver broke a policy that bars all travelling after 6 p.m. owing to security concerns.
“The driver took the bus without permission, picked up people on the road, and left without proper papers or clearance. He embarked on a late trip against company policy, jeopardizing the passengers’ lives,” the company said.
As of the time of publication, neither the police nor the kidnappers’ families have formally accepted any ransom requests; however, security agencies and local vigilantes have been working tirelessly to free the passengers.
Security experts have condemned the bus attack, expressing concern that disgruntled groups could target vulnerable targets and disrupt the country’s peace. While discussing with WITHIN NIGERIA, analysts expressed concern about the situation and noted that no preventive measures were taken to prevent it.
Security expert Kunle Olajide has blasted the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) leadership for exposing students to kidnapping and attack.
Olajide, in a phone conversation with WITHIN NIGERIA, criticized JAMB’s decision to schedule examinations early in violent states.
According to Olajide, creating unique timetables or schedules for violent states might not have been a bad idea given what transpired last year during the SSCE Examinations.
Olajide, while praising security agencies, encouraged them to step up efforts to secure the release of JAMB candidates so that they can be reunited with their families.
Salewa Abdulrasak, while lamenting the country’s escalating insecurity, asserted that the gunmen are nasty, tyrannical, and insensitive for targeting JAMB aspirants, who are soft targets.
Abdulrasak, who termed the country as a joke, revealed that she never believed the federal government, security agencies, and JAMB would not include the hardship of students and the security situation in states such as Benue in their timetable.
According to Abdulrasak, the Benue bus attack is a disgrace to our security authorities, particularly the intelligence organizations, who are meant to have cautioned or supplied functioning intel for JAMB regarding the impending exams.
“Students are soft targets. During the JAMB examination, they travel early. Gunmen knew their parents would swiftly pay a ransom to preserve their lives and avoid missing the academic year, therefore preventive precautions were not taken,” said a concerned Abdulrasak.
Kayode Ogunsemi, a human rights campaigner, sharply criticized the Benue bus attack, calling it a terrible event.
Ogunsemi, who chastised President Tinubu for failing to protect Nigerians, particularly women and children, accused JAMB management of endangering students’ lives by not considering violence-prone states.
He also slammed JAMB management’s persistent silence in the aftermath of the bus attack, alleging that the examination body’s failure to issue a statement about the incident constitutes criminal negligence.
According to Ogunsemi, every abducted passenger must be rescued, and JAMB must provide alternatives for these kidnap victims because they were not to blame for the occurrence that denied them access to write the examination.
He asked Nigerians to avoid bogus news, stick to credible sources, and refrain from sharing unsubstantiated information that could imperil victims in detention.
He also urged President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take the bull by the horns and avoid making false excuses or dealing with insecurity by showy words or lip service.
