- 20 Passengers, UTME Candidates Abducted By Pirates In Calabar
- Benue police rescue kidnapped travellers, arrest seven suspects
- Authorities clarify victims were not UTME candidates but recruits
No fewer than 20 passengers, including candidates of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, were reportedly abducted by sea pirates along the Calabar waterways on Friday.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- JAMB Delists 23 CBT Centres, Warns 89 After Mock UTME Review
- NASA Astronauts Return to Earth After First Human Trip to the Moon in 50 Years
- INEC Shifts Nationwide Voter Revalidation Until After 2027 General Election
EKO HOT BLOG reports that a naval officer, who spoke anonymously, said gunmen ambushed a passenger ferry travelling from Calabar in Cross River State to Oron in Akwa Ibom State. He said the attackers struck mid journey and forced several passengers away at gunpoint.
Authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of victims, though sources said many were students heading to sit for the UTME. Police in Cross River did not confirm the incident, while spokesperson Sunday Eitokpah said the Akwa Ibom command was better placed to respond. The incident has raised fresh concerns over safety on the waterways.
In a separate development, the Nigeria Police Force in Benue State arrested seven suspected militia herdsmen over the abduction of passengers along the Makurdi Otukpo highway. The victims, including travellers initially reported to be UTME candidates, have all regained their freedom.
Briefing Governor Hyacinth Alia in Makurdi, Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari said the rescue followed a joint security operation.
“With the earlier release of five occupants of the vehicle, the remaining 13 were rescued this morning unhurt,” Emenari said.
He added that eight suspects were in custody, including seven linked to the crime. “We already have eight suspects in our custody, and out of this number, seven are suspected herdsmen bandits connected with the crime. Some of the victims have been able to identify them,” he said.
Governor Alia confirmed the safe return of the victims and expressed concern over rising kidnappings. “Among the victims are eight young people who were heading to Otukpo to write their examinations,” he said.
However, both the police and JAMB later clarified that the victims were not UTME candidates but were travelling for a police recruitment exercise.
“Today, all the remaining 13 kidnap victims were rescued by security agents with the cooperation of the communities,” the governor added, urging authorities to support affected victims.
