Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for eight candidates recently kidnapped and later rescued.

The governor made the appeal on Sunday while receiving 13 rescued victims at the Government House in Makurdi, following their release in the early hours of the day.

Alia described the affected students as victims of circumstance who should not be disadvantaged due to the incident.

“I call on JAMB to look into the case of the eight young students and reschedule dates for them to write their examination,” he said.

He explained that 15 of the 18 passengers aboard a Benue Links bus were abducted last Wednesday night along the Taraku–Otukpo route, noting that all remaining victims have now been rescued through the efforts of security agencies and local communities.

The governor directed the state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, to ensure the victims receive proper medical attention at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital before being reunited with their families.

He also commended security agencies for their role in the rescue operation and disclosed that seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Alia urged continued collaboration to intensify the fight against kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state.