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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Conflict & Security

Police arrest seven over Benue abduction, clarify UTME link

From The Punch · (1d ago) English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Police in Benue have arrested seven suspects in connection with the abduction of passengers on April 15.
  • A joint security operation led to the rescue of some victims, who are receiving medical attention.
  • The command clarified that the victims were passengers in a bus, not part of a convoy of students heading for the UTME.

The Benue State Police Command has announced the arrest of seven suspects allegedly linked to the abduction of passengers on April 15 in Otukpo. The arrests were made during a coordinated security operation that also successfully rescued some of the victims, who are now receiving medical care. DSP Edet Udeme, the Command's spokesperson, confirmed the development in Makurdi.

Further intelligence gathered in the course of the operation led to the arrest of seven suspects, who are currently in police custody while investigation is ongoing.

— DSP Edet UdemeCommand’s spokesperson, confirming the arrest of suspects following a security operation.

The joint operation, involving police and other security agencies, conducted a targeted search-and-rescue mission in Amla Forest and surrounding areas. While some victims were rescued, the exact number has not been disclosed. The police emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, with the seven suspects currently in custody.

The command states that this claim is incorrect, as the victims were not confirmed to be part of any organised UTME-bound student convoy, but passengers in a Makurdi-bound bus.

— DSP Edet UdemeCommand’s spokesperson, clarifying the identity of the abduction victims.

Crucially, the Command has moved to correct misinformation circulating in some media outlets. It clarified that the abducted individuals were passengers traveling in a bus bound for Makurdi and were not part of any organized convoy of students traveling for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari assured residents that efforts are being intensified to rescue any remaining victims and urged the public to continue providing credible information to aid security operations.

The Command… is intensifying efforts to rescue the remaining victims.

— Ifeanyi EmenariCommissioner of Police, assuring the public about ongoing rescue efforts.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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