Students Abducted in Armed Bus Ambush in Nigeria, Benue State

Gunmen attacked a passenger bus on Thursday along the Otukpo-Makurdi highway, abducting students en route to university examinations, Benue state Governor Hyacinth Alia said.

Local media indicated 14 passengers were on board, though officials did not confirm how many were taken.

Alia condemned the incident, stating: “The targeting of innocent citizens, particularly students… is unacceptable.”

Benue remains a hotspot within Nigeria’s central region, where remote routes and limited enforcement capacity enable frequent attacks on travelers.

No group has claimed responsibility, but such attacks align with a broader trend of targeting schools and students to maximize attention and ransom leverage.

The attack reflects a wider deterioration in security across Nigeria. Data from 2023 to 2025 indicates more than 2 attacks per day, resulting in 6,107 deaths.

Abductions remain widespread, with 4,243 recorded in 2023, 1,461 in early 2024, and 857 in early 2025.

Authorities said search and rescue operations are ongoing to locate those abducted in the latest incident, while governor Alia urged calm and cooperation with security forces, stating: “We will continue to take decisive actions to protect lives and property.”

However, repeated incidents suggest persistent capability gaps in rural and highway security, where armed groups operate with mobility and limited resistance.

Recent violence has also not been confined to Benue. On April 7, gunmen killed at least 20 people in Niger State’s Shiroro district after hours-long attacks, while abducting several others, according to police.

Analysts note that kidnappings have become embedded in local conflict economies, with ransom incentives driving repeated targeting of civilians.