Student recounts narrow escape from armed kidnappers after exam journey turns tragic

A student who was abducted while returning from the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Otukpo, Benue State, has shared how he narrowly escaped from his captors after a harrowing experience.
The survivor was among 18 passengers reportedly kidnapped when armed men intercepted their vehicle along the route.

Recounting the incident, he said about five attackers blocked the road and forced everyone out of the bus.
According to him, the assailants, wielding guns and machetes, immediately became violent, beating the passengers before marching them into a nearby bush.
“We were coming back from the exam when we saw them on the road. They stopped our vehicle, ordered us down, and began to beat us,” he said.
While in the bush, the victims were searched and robbed of their belongings. The kidnappers then moved them from one location to another, subjecting them to further threats and physical abuse.
Amid the ordeal, the student said he stayed calm, praying silently and watching for a chance to escape, even as other captives grew weaker and more discouraged.
“I kept praying silently and hoping for a chance. I felt if I stayed unnoticed, I might find a way out,” he explained.
Despite warnings from some of the other captives not to attempt an escape, he carefully distanced himself from the group. Taking advantage of the darkness, he eventually fled into the bush.
He admitted that at one point he feared he might not survive, especially since they were held in an unknown location.
The incident has further heightened concerns about insecurity along major routes in parts of Benue State, particularly affecting students and travellers.