Benue Kidnapping: JAMB Insists Victims Are Not UTME Candidates

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has dismissed reports linking victims of a recent kidnapping incident in Benue State to the ongoing 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), insisting that none of the abducted persons were examination candidates.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the Board said its findings confirmed that the victims were participants in a police recruitment exercise who had travelled to Makurdi and were returning to Otukpo when they were attacked along the highway.

JAMB stressed that the claims circulating in public space suggesting that the victims were UTME candidates were false and not supported by its official records or verification process.

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The Board further explained that UTME candidates are usually assigned to designated examination centres within their locations and do not travel in groups across long distances during the examination period, making the reported scenario inconsistent with standard UTME arrangements.

The clarification follows a kidnapping incident along the Makurdi–Otukpo road in Benue State, where passengers in a commercial vehicle were abducted by armed men before being rescued after several days of search-and-rescue operations by security agencies.

Initial reports had suggested that some of the victims were writing the UTME, sparking confusion and reactions from stakeholders, including state authorities and the public.

Security agencies are continuing investigations into the attack, with efforts focused on identifying the perpetrators and dismantling kidnapping networks operating along major routes in Benue State.

Authorities have also intensified security operations in the area amid rising concerns over repeated cases of abduction targeting commuters and travellers.

Benue Kidnapping: JAMB Insists Victims Are Not UTME Candidates

Ex–Fire Captain Jailed for Life for Killing Fiancée, Her Son Over Movie Argument

A former California fire captain, Darin McFarlin, 47, has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of murdering his fiancée and her 7-year-old son following a domestic dispute that began over a disagreement while watching a movie.

According to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, the incident occurred on 21 August 2025 inside McFarlin’s home, where he was watching a film with his fiancée, 29-year-old Marissa Divodi-Lessa Herzog, and her two children.

The movie, later identified as the 2008 Christian drama Fireproof, reportedly triggered an argument after McFarlin became upset over its portrayal of a firefighter character. The disagreement escalated into a violent confrontation inside the home.

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Prosecutors said the situation deteriorated into a domestic violence incident in which McFarlin attacked Divodi-Lessa. Although she attempted to escape and seek help, the situation turned fatal when he used a firearm during the confrontation.

At the time of the incident, Divodi-Lessa’s two children, aged 7 and 9, were present in the home. The court heard that the 7-year-old boy was also killed during the attack, while the 9-year-old girl narrowly escaped and survived after fleeing to safety.

Authorities later arrested McFarlin within hours of the incident, while the surviving child was found safe.

During sentencing on 13 April 2026, the court handed McFarlin two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, along with an additional life term and further penalties amounting to 50 years to life and 15 years.

The judge described the case as a devastating example of domestic violence that escalated into irreversible tragedy, stressing the need for accountability in violent household disputes.

Prosecutors noted that the case underscored the dangers of unresolved domestic conflict and the importance of early intervention in situations involving emotional and physical abuse.

Ex–Fire Captain Jailed for Life for Killing Fiancée, Her Son Over Movie Argument

NDLEA Dismantles Drug Syndicate, Seizes Cocaine Hidden in Food Flasks

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a large-scale drug trafficking network involving cocaine, cannabis (skunk/loud), tramadol, and other controlled substances, with coordinated operations leading to arrests and seizures across Lagos, Kaduna, Edo, Delta, Cross River, and other states.

The agency revealed that one of its most significant interceptions took place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, where operatives discovered 12 parcels of cocaine concealed in the false bottom of food flasks bound for the United Kingdom via a Virgin Atlantic flight. The consignment, weighing 2.80kg, was seized on April 9, 2026, during a routine inspection at the export shed.

Two cargo agents, Ama Obinna Ufeim and Ogabi Monday Akorede, were arrested at the scene, while a follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged sender, Agoro Tajudeen Moninuola, a 52-year-old freight and forwarding agent.

In a separate operation at the same airport, NDLEA operatives intercepted 2.90kg of “Loud,” a strong strain of cannabis, hidden inside snack food packs imported from the United States via a Delta Airlines flight. Two clearing agents, Animashaun Moshood Adetunji and Mercy Gabriel Oluwasegun, were initially arrested, while the consignee, Saheed Adeshina Adegoke, a 29-year-old fashion designer, was later apprehended in Lagos.

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The agency also reported a major seizure in Kaduna State, where operatives intercepted a trailer loaded with cement along the Kaduna–Zaria highway. A search uncovered 847kg of skunk concealed inside 760 cement blocks and 33 jumbo bags, leading to the arrest of the truck driver, Umar Garba Haruna.

In Cross River State, NDLEA operatives, supported by soldiers, raided a forest farm in Uwet community, Akamkpa LGA, destroying about 15,000kg of skunk cultivated on six hectares of farmland and recovering 119kg of the substance. A female suspect, Alice Sunday Udoh, was arrested.

Similarly, in Edo State, operatives destroyed over 2,281kg of cannabis at Saboro camp, Ovia North East LGA, arresting suspects including Nweke Smart, Christopher Egbe, and Monday Ayan. In Delta State, two suspects, Sunday Odili and Ijenebe Joshua, were arrested with 87.8kg of skunk and cannabis seeds.

In Lagos, NDLEA officers also intercepted a truck along the Lagos–Badagry expressway carrying 11,900 capsules of tramadol and 400 ampoules of phenobarbital injection en route to Ghana. Suspects Chinedu Ogbekene and Zindozin Aloukou Bienvenu were arrested.

In another Lagos Island operation, a two-storey building at Petti was raided, resulting in the recovery of 95.8kg of skunk.

The NDLEA said it has also intensified its nationwide War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, with sensitisation programmes held in schools, religious centres, and communities across the country.

Chairman of the agency, Buba Marwa, commended officers involved in the operations nationwide, praising their efforts in drug supply reduction, drug trafficking interception, and anti-narcotics enforcement, while urging sustained vigilance against evolving drug smuggling tactics.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to dismantling drug cartels and curbing the spread of illicit substances across Nigeria and beyond.

NDLEA Dismantles Drug Syndicate, Seizes Cocaine Hidden in Food Flasks