A student abducted while returning from the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Otukpo, Benue State, has narrated how he narrowly escaped from his captors after a terrifying ordeal.
The survivor was among 18 passengers reportedly seized when armed men intercepted their vehicle along the route. According to his account, the group encountered about five attackers who blocked the road and forced everyone out of the bus.
He said the assailants, armed with guns and machetes, immediately turned violent, beating the passengers before herding them into a nearby bush.
“We were coming back from the exam when we saw them on the road. They stopped our vehicle, ordered us down, and began to beat us,” he recalled.
Inside the bush, the victims were searched and dispossessed of their valuables. The attackers then moved them between locations, subjecting them to further intimidation and physical abuse.
Amid the chaos, the student said he remained quietly hopeful, praying and looking for an opportunity to escape, even as others became increasingly weak and discouraged.
“I kept praying silently and hoping for a chance. I felt if I stayed unnoticed, I might find a way out,” he said.
Despite warnings from some fellow captives against attempting to flee, he gradually created distance between himself and the group. Seizing a moment in the darkness, he ran off into the bush.
He admitted that at one point, he feared he might not make it out alive, especially since their location was unknown.
The incident adds to growing concerns over insecurity along major routes in parts of Benue State, particularly affecting students and travellers.
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