The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has clarified that victims of a recent kidnapping incident in Benue State were not candidates of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), debunking widespread reports that linked the abduction to the ongoing exercise.
The victims, who were abducted while travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo, were initially reported to be students heading to sit for the UTME.
However, the Board said the claim was false, noting that the individuals were participants in a police recruitment exercise.
In a statement on Saturday in Abuja, JAMB’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said seven of the victims had been rescued by security agencies, while efforts were ongoing to secure the release of others still in captivity.
Fabian faulted the circulation of unverified reports tying the incident to the Board, describing it as misleading and damaging to its reputation.
He said: “The victims were not UTME candidates. They had travelled for a police recruitment exercise and were returning to Otukpo when they were abducted.”
The JAMB spokesperson added that the structure of the UTME makes it unlikely for candidates to travel together or be assigned to the same examination centre, stressing that the narrative should have been questioned from the outset.
Fabian however, commended security agencies for the rescue operation and expressed hope that the remaining victims would be freed soon.
While distancing the Board from the incident, he urged the public and the media to prioritise fact-checking before drawing conclusions, warning against the tendency to blame institutions without evidence.
He also called on those who spread the false claims to retract their statements, noting that misinformation could undermine public trust and distract from pressing security concerns.
The JAMB spokesman stressed that regardless of their identity, no Nigerian deserves to be subjected to kidnapping, calling for sustained efforts to improve security across the country.
