UTME Candidates Recount Torture, Hunger After Four-Day Benue Kidnapping Ordeal

UTME Candidates Recount Torture, Hunger After Four-Day Benue Kidnapping Ordeal

Rescued victims of a recent kidnapping in Benue State, including some 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates, have recounted how they endured torture, hunger, and inhumane treatment during four days in captivity before their eventual rescue.

The victims were abducted on Wednesday along the Taraku–Otukpo road in Otukpo Local Government Area when gunmen attacked a Benue Links commercial vehicle conveying passengers. They were later rescued on Sunday morning by security operatives after coordinated operations involving the military and local community efforts.

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, who received the victims at the Government House in Makurdi, confirmed that eight of the rescued persons were UTME candidates, while others were regular commuters caught in the attack.

The governor commended the security agencies for the successful rescue operation and assured that efforts were ongoing to track down the perpetrators.

One of the victims, 18-year-old Gbenda Daniels, said the abductors seized his ₦8,000 and subjected the victims to repeated beatings while denying them proper food.

“They collected my ₦8,000. They beat us, and we didn’t eat anything; we only drank dirty water,” he said.

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Another UTME candidate, Ngukulan Iornav, also 18, said the captives were fed only small portions of garri mixed with salt and were repeatedly assaulted during their time in the forest.

“We were given garri and salt. I was thoroughly beaten,” she said.

A medical student, Orih Raphael Sylvester, who had just completed his final examinations at the University of Maiduguri before the incident, said the kidnappers moved them from one forest location to another to avoid detection by security forces.

He explained that the attack occurred after their vehicle experienced mechanical problems, delaying their journey.

According to him, the victims spent the first night without food, survived the second day on dirty water, and were later forced to contact their families under severe beatings as ransom demands increased.

“We were taken into the bush and moved from one place to another. On the second day, we survived on muddy water. On the third day, they gave us garri and forced us to call our families while beating us,” he said.

He added that on the fourth day, pressure intensified as the abductors demanded ransom payments while security forces closed in on their location.

Another victim, Sunday Augustine, a 100-level Accounting student at the Federal University of Lafia, said he sustained injuries during the attack, including wounds to his elbow, while Akor Jessica described the experience as deeply traumatic, saying they were beaten with sticks and machetes at will.

A relative of some of the victims, Ochadgwuba Alexander, said the kidnappers initially demanded ₦10 million per victim before negotiations began.

He disclosed that he eventually delivered ₦3.4 million in cash along with food items, including drinks and yoghurt, into the forest as ransom.

Alexander added that he later coordinated with security operatives to ensure the safe evacuation of the victims after they were released.

Security agencies have since intensified operations in the area, with efforts ongoing to arrest the suspects behind the attack and dismantle the kidnapping network operating along the Taraku–Otukpo corridor, a route known for recurring security challenges.

UTME Candidates Recount Torture, Hunger After Four-Day Benue Kidnapping Ordeal