The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has dismissed reports linking recently kidnapped travellers in Benue State to the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), clarifying that none of the victims were examination candidates. In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the Board said seven of the abducted……
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has dismissed reports linking recently kidnapped travellers in Benue State to the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), clarifying that none of the victims were examination candidates.
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Fabian Benjamin, the Board said seven of the abducted persons have been rescued by security agencies, describing the earlier reports as inaccurate.
According to JAMB, the victims were not travelling for the UTME but were participants in an ongoing police recruitment exercise who had gone to Makurdi and were returning to Otukpo when the incident occurred.
“Notably, none of the victims were UTME candidates. Rather, they were individuals who had traveled to Makurdi to participate in the ongoing police recruitment exercise and were returning to Otukpo at the time of the incident,” the statement said.
The Board expressed concern over what it described as the rush to link the incident to its examination schedule, noting that such claims were made without proper verification.
“It is regrettable that, in moments like this, there is a tendency to hastily malign government institutions particularly the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) without proper verification of facts,” the spokesman stated.
JAMB further criticised attempts to associate the abduction with its operations, insisting that the structure of the UTME makes it unlikely for candidates to travel together or be assigned to the same examination centre.
“The structure of UTME examinations makes it highly unlikely for candidates who know one another to be assigned to the same centre or to travel together for the exam,” it added.
While welcoming the rescue of some victims, the Board called for public restraint and responsible information dissemination, urging Nigerians to verify facts before drawing conclusions.
“As citizens, we must cultivate the discipline of verifying facts before drawing conclusions or assigning blame,” the statement noted.
The examination body also reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining standards and implementing reforms, stressing that it would not be deterred by what it described as unfounded criticism.
It added that efforts should be focused on supporting security agencies and ensuring that victims of criminal acts receive necessary attention, rather than using such incidents to discredit institutions.
