Kidnap victims were police recruits, not UTME candidates — JAMB

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has corrected earlier reports about seven individuals rescued from kidnappers, stating that they were not candidates of the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

In a statement issued by its Public Communication Advisor, Fabian Benjamin, the board explained that the victims were police recruitment applicants who had travelled to Makurdi for an exercise and were returning to Otukpo when they were abducted.

JAMB described the clarification as a relief, noting that earlier assumptions linking the victims to the UTME had caused concern. The board also expressed hope for the safe recovery of others still in captivity.

Benjamin criticised the spread of unverified information, saying some narratives unfairly blamed the examination body without proper checks. He noted that attempts were even made to tie the incident to JAMB’s examination schedule despite clear inconsistencies.

He pointed out that the structure of UTME examinations makes it unlikely for candidates to be assigned the same centre in groups or travel together, adding that this should have raised questions about the initial claims.

The board stressed that while the victims were not exam candidates, the incident remains deeply troubling, insisting that no Nigerian deserves to be subjected to kidnapping regardless of their purpose of travel.

JAMB urged the public to prioritise fact-checking before sharing information and called for greater support for national institutions rather than spreading unverified claims that could damage their reputation.

The examination body reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining high standards in its operations and expressed optimism that ongoing improvements in Nigeria’s security system would help prevent similar incidents in the future.