Army saves 13 Abducted Benue Links Passengers from Kidnappers' Den

The Nigerian Army troops under Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have rescued 13 kidnapped passengers of a Benue Links commercial bus abducted along the Makurdi–Otukpo road on April 15, 2026.

This is contained in an operational report made available on Sunday in Abuja.

The report said the troops, while conducting search-and-rescue operations, recovered the victims in the early hours of Sunday from a forest area in Okete Ward, Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue.

According to the report, those rescued include Hycent Oko (56), Elaiguli Joshua (25), Orili Raphael (29), Sunday Augustine (18), Emmanuel Elaicha (21), Gbile Nguyor Daniel (18), Ukacha Tersoo (18), and Nyikwagh Aoridakator (22).

Others are Iornav Ngukuhan (18), Nyikwagh Benjamin (18), Buker Agatha (19), Paul Wende (29), and Akor Jessica (19).

It added the rescued victims were immediately evacuated to the General Hospital, Otukp where they are currently receiving medical attention, including treatment for injuries sustained during captivity.

The report further disclosed that three of the 17 abducted passengers had earlier escaped and reunited with their families safely, while efforts are ongoing to rescue the remaining victims still in captivity.

It added that eight of the abducted passengers were candidates preparing for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination.

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War with Wike: Keep your Children safe at home, Abuja Teachers warn Parents, begin Strike on Monday

The State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has directed primary and secondary school teachers to begin an indefinite strike on Monday.

The union gave the directive in a communique issued at the end of an emergency SWEC meeting in Gwagwalada, Abuja..

The communique was jointly signed by the State Chairman, Abdullahi Shafa; the State Secretary, Margaret Jethro; and the State Publicity Secretary, Ibukun Adekeye.

In the communique, made available to Journalists in Abuja, the union directed the teachers to comply with the directive and await further instructions.

It further advised parents to keep their children and wards in primary and secondary schools safe at home until further notice.

It said that the teachers would remain at home until all their demands are met.

The union explained that the decision was the outcome of the SWEC meeting, convened to review the seven-day ultimatum issued to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, on March 11, which expired on March 29.

It said that the SWEC appreciated Wike for the implementation of the N70,000 Minimum Wage and payment of the nine months arrears to the primary school teachers in the FCT.

It, however, said that the Council noted with concern that the Minister’s intervention, which facilitated the suspension of the 14-week strike on July 9, 2025, was yet to be addressed.

“The Minister constituted a committee on July 7, 2025 with a mandate to, within two weeks, harmonise all outstanding entitlements of primary school teachers.

“The committee was also directed to make appropriate recommendations that would lead to a permanent solution to the frequent industrial disputes involving FCT Primary School Teachers.

“The committee concluded its assignment and submitted its report in August 2025, however, the report is yet to be made public,” it said.

The union explained that the seven-day ultimatum followed  the unexplained delay in the implementation of the committee’s report.

It added that the move also became necessary following the continued silence on the legitimate demands of teachers amid the prevailing harsh economic realities in the country, particularly in the FCT.

It explained that the Wike-led FCT Administration was asked to, within the seven-day ultimatum, release and implement the report of primary school teachers’ outstanding entitlements.

The union further called for the removal of the “vacancies” precondition for the promotion of classroom teachers and totally reviewed the 2024 promotion exercise conducted by the FCT Civil Service Commission to allow for the unhindered promotion of eligible teachers.

It said that the SWEC was disturbed that following the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum on March 19, including the additional 28-day grace period granted to the authorities, there has been no tangible response to all the issues raised in the ultimatum.

“After exhaustive deliberations on the industrial issues and the silence on the legitimate demands of teachers’ welfare, the Council resolved that all public primary and secondary school teachers in the FCT shall, with effect from Monday, proceed on an indefinite strike until our demands are met,” the union said.

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Linking Kidnapping Victims to JAMB without evidence complicates Security - JAMB Registrar

Ishaq Oloyede, Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has said that the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) recorded minimal challenges across the country.

Oloyede said this in Ibadan on Saturday at the University of Ibadan CBT centre during a routine monitoring visit to Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres in Oyo State.

He described the exercise as largely successful, noting that only a few centres experienced issues, mainly related to power supply and minor technical faults.

“Like any human activity, there will be challenges, but they have been minimal.

“Out of about 980 centres nationwide, we have recorded issues in only about 16 centres,” he said.

The registrar added that despite initial concerns, the board had successfully conducted examinations for over 1.7 million candidates within three days.

He commended the smooth conduct of the examination process, describing it as “superb,” and praised the collaboration of stakeholders, including vice-chancellors, rectors and other academic officials serving as proctors.

On reports of candidates allegedly being kidnapped, Oloyede cautioned against misinformation, saying such claims were often not properly verified.

“It is unfortunate that people were kidnapped, but linking them directly to JAMB without evidence complicates security efforts.

“The focus should be on ensuring their safe return,” he said.

Addressing public concerns over early arrival times for candidates, the registrar clarified that examinations do not start at 6:30 a.m., but candidates are required to arrive early for accreditation.

Oloyede explained that the board had adjusted the examination schedule from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. in response to feedbacks, though the change had led to longer waiting periods for some candidates.

He also criticised widespread misconceptions about the role of UTME in admissions, stressing that it is only one of the criteria, alongside O’Level requirements.

Oloyede warned candidates and parents against engaging with fraudsters offering “exam runs” or score manipulation.

According to him, JAMB has intensified efforts to track and prosecute such individuals, revealing that several suspects were already facing prosecution for exam malpractices.

He cited a case where a suspect, while in custody, continued to defraud unsuspecting parents by promising to upgrade candidates’ scores.

“We have our own mechanisms to detect such fraud. Those who attempt shortcuts will be identified and sanctioned,” the registrar said.

Oloyede urged the public to report fraudulent platforms on social media, while commending security agencies for their support in tackling examination malpractices.

He reaffirmed JAMB’s commitment to maintaining the integrity of the examination process and ensuring credible admissions into tertiary institutions. 

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