A rescued Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) candidate, Agatha Buter, has narrated her harrowing experience after armed men ambushed a Benue Links bus along the Makurdi Otukpo highway and abducted passengers.
The victim said she and other travellers were held captive for days, beaten with cutlasses, and forced to survive on meagre rations while their abductors demanded a ₦10 million ransom.
According to her, the attackers intercepted an 18-seater bus last Wednesday, kidnapping all passengers including eight UTME candidates heading to Otukpo for their examination.
Speaking after their release and presentation to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, Agatha described the ordeal as traumatic and life-threatening.
“They threatened us with guns and bullets and beat us with cutlasses to force our parents to pay the ransom,” she said.
She added that male captives suffered the most brutal treatment, saying they were repeatedly assaulted to pressure families into payment.
Agatha also alleged that the kidnappers, whom she described as armed herdsmen operating from a forest enclave, fed them poorly during captivity.
“They gave us garri with salt and sometimes mangoes. By the third day, we had no food and were forced to drink unsafe water,” she said.
She expressed gratitude to security agencies and the state government for securing their release, noting that the experience left deep emotional scars.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
