Gunmen have abducted passengers, including candidates of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination being conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination, along the Makurdi-Otukpo road in Benue State.

The victims were said to be travelling in a Benue Links bus from Makurdi to Otukpo when the vehicle was attacked on Wednesday night.

A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the incident, said the bus, which was conveying about 18 passengers, was intercepted near Otukpo around 8 pm by suspected bandits who took most of the occupants into the bush.

According to the source, the passengers were mainly young persons heading to Otukpo to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for Thursday.

“Two people, the driver and one passenger, managed to escape. Incidentally, the passengers were mainly young men and women who travelled to sit for the JAMB examination scheduled for today (Thursday),” he said.

However, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ifeanyi Emenari, said 14 passengers were abducted, adding that one victim escaped.

Emenari, who spoke on Thursday, said he was in Otukpo coordinating the rescue operation.

“I am in Otukpo now with all my team and DPOs who are here in the bush and am heading the operation.

“What happened was that one Benue Links bus carrying passengers coming to Otukpo was stopped and attacked by hoodlums and 14 passengers were kidnapped but one was able to escape,” he said.

He added that the command had commenced an investigation into the incident, particularly the circumstances surrounding the journey.

According to him, the Benue Links management has a policy against night travel, but the driver allegedly picked up passengers after official hours.

“But as we are investigating, we are on the ground to make sure that the victims are rescued,” the CP said.

The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, also confirmed the incident, saying security operatives had been deployed to the area.

Ogiri said, “It is true, I’m just coming out from a security meeting, and security operatives have been moved into the forest to help rescue the kidnapped victims.

“The victims are mainly young boys and girls coming to Otukpo to write JAMB.”

Passengers travelling along the Makurdi-Otukpo road have faced repeated attacks by gunmen in recent months.

…Reinforce partnerships in aviation, education, agriculture, others

… You are a transformer and an entrepreneur – Ambassador hails Mbah

The Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, and the Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, on Wednesday, flagged off the construction of 14.5 kilometres of high-capacity transmission pipelines from Nsude to the Terminal Reservoir at Miliken Hill to significantly strengthen water supply to Enugu city.

This was even as the two leaders reinforced the commitment of the governments of France and Enugu State to stronger partnerships in the areas of education, aviation, agriculture, agro-industrialisation, and culture, among others.

The water project is in line with Governor Mbah’s determined efforts to get water to the last mile across the state capital.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Governor Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said the project, supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) under the Third National Urban Water Sector Reform Programme, represented a bold step in his administration’s determination to deliver on his administration’s promise to provide reliable and sustainable water supply to the people of the state.

“For too long, access to clean water has been a challenge. But we are currently changing that story permanently.

“The construction of this critical transmission pipeline will significantly strengthen our water distribution backbone, ensuring that potable water reaches homes, businesses, and institutions across Enugu metropolis efficiently and consistently.

“But beyond the infrastructure, this project is about people. It is about improving public health by reducing waterborne diseases. It is about supporting businesses and driving economic growth. It is about restoring dignity by ensuring that every resident of Enugu has access to safe and reliable water,” he stated.

Also, while personally receiving the Ambassador in his office earlier, Governor Mbah said that while his administration had significantly addressed the upstream challenges by successfully increasing water generation from 2 million litres daily to 120 million litres in 180 days, it was still aggressively dealing with the downstream by laying ductile iron pipes in place of old, asbestos pipes, which had gravely failed to withstand increased water pressure.

He also said his administration had compassionately braved the cost of laying new pipes instead of pulling down so many buildings constructed on major water pipelines.

“However, we are never interested in inundating the people with excuses. We are rather determined to get water to the last mile.

“If you tell them you are generating 80m litres or 120m litres, but they turn their taps and nothing flows, it will not work. When they turn their tap and get water, that is the only time you will make sense to them.

“So, for the upstream, we will continue to generate the water. But we need private sector participation in the downstream. We are happy to work with any of the companies you can recommend to us. This is an area we truly want action,” Mbah said.

On his part, the French Ambassador said the Government of France, through the French Development Agency, had supported the urban water sector across Nigeria to the tune of $340 million over the past decade.

“So, this particular project reflects the strength of Franco-Nigerian cooperation. It brings together expertise from both countries, with Nigerian and French companies working hand in hand— from design to implementation. This partnership ensures not only high-quality infrastructure, but also knowledge transfer and local capacity building,” Mr. Fonbaustier stated.

He lauded Mbah’s sterling leadership qualities, expressing the readiness of the French Government to partner with Enugu State in many areas the Mbah Administration had blazed the trail.

“I commend you for who you are and what you have achieved to date. I am impressed by your profile, but also your result-oriented action.

“You are a man obsessed with time, timelines, roadmaps, and measures of impact. You want to transform Enugu State. You are a transformer and an entrepreneur. And this has been detected in various areas: railways, roads, airlines. I mean, how did you do that?

“To shape and build up an airline, which is already certified, with a concession for the Enugu airport in a short spell of time, is completely amazing and out of the usual standards in Nigeria.

“Let us be honest, you are obsessed with supplying basic services to your people,” he stated.

Meanwhile, in their remarks, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Enugu State, Engr. Ben Collins Ndu Jr.; Managing Director, Enugu Water Corporation, Dr. Michael Nwachukwu; and the Chairman of Udi Local Government Area, Hon. Hyginus Agu, thanked the French Government for its goodwill and support towards the development efforts in Enugu State.

On his part, the Managing Director of the construction firm, TLD Global Services Ltd., Engr. Hilary Abaratu, assured of excellence, timely delivery, and adherence to the highest standards.

The Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council has endorsed the governor of the state, Dr. Peter Mbah, for a second term in office ahead of the 2027 election.

The endorsement was made on Tuesday at the House of Chiefs Chamber within the Enugu State House of Assembly Complex during an interface between the state government and traditional rulers, where the monarchs expressed satisfaction with the administration’s performance.

The royal fathers further pledged their continued support for government policies, particularly in maintaining peace in their communities and safeguarding public infrastructure.

Speaking, the Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, His Majesty, Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, said the royal fathers were united in their support for the governor, stressing that his performance had justified their confidence.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Chieftaincy Matters, Dr. C.O.C. Egumgbe, said the administration had strengthened collaboration with traditional rulers and fulfilled key commitments, including the improvement of their welfare, adding that the endorsement was a voluntary decision by the monarchs, anchored on the governor’s performance and his commitment to grassroots development.

Respinding on behalf of the governor, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, described the endorsement as a clear reflection of the people’s confidence in the administration, noting that the Mbah-led government had continued to deliver on its promises across critical sectors.

The development is a significant boost to Governor Mbah’s growing political support base as activities gradually build up towards the 2027 governorship election.