Gunmen Abduct Students and Travelers on Benue Highway

Overview

• Gunmen attacked a passenger bus on the Otukpo–Makurdi road in Benue state, seizing secondary school students headed to university entrance exams and other passengers.
• Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the assault and ordered search-and-rescue operations with instructions to spare no effort.
• Officials have not released a tally of those taken, and local outlets gave differing counts that included 14 people on the bus and reports of 17 students missing.
• No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities have not identified any suspects.
• The abduction reflects a wider pattern in which armed gangs and Islamist militants target schools, travelers, and rural communities, disrupting education and travel across Nigeria.