The Presidency has described the kidnapping of passengers along the Makurdi–Otukpo highway in Benue state as an operation carried out by local criminal groups.
It added that recent evidence points to a growing pattern of violence driven from within affected communities rather than external armed networks.
Special adviser to the president on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the incident fits into what he called a broader shift in the nature of insecurity in parts of the country.
He argued that public commentary often overlooks operational gains by security forces while focusing on isolated incidents of violence.
“Some Nigerians and armchair analysts are often quick to criticise the federal government for perceived shortcomings in security,” Mr Onanuga said, adding that such assessments “tend to downplay and discount the heroic exploits of members of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
He said his assessment was informed by daily security updates he receives from journalist Zagazola Makama, whom he described as a counter-insurgency reporter with consistent field reporting from multiple operational theatres.
The abduction occurred on 15 April, when armed men intercepted a Benue Links bus travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo along the Taraku–Otukpo axis. The attackers led the passengers into nearby forested terrain.
Seventeen passengers were on board. Security reports indicate that 14 were taken into the bush while three escaped during the initial attack. Among the abductees were eight young passengers travelling to sit for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination.
The incident triggered conflicting public accounts. Families of the victims later challenged initial security statements that suggested the victims were not part of an organised group of examination candidates. Governor Hyacinth Alia subsequently confirmed that at least eight of those abducted were UTME candidates and called for special arrangements to accommodate their situation.
The rescue operation unfolded in stages. On 19 April, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke found 13 of the remaining passengers during a search-and-rescue mission in a forested area in Ohimini local government area. The victims were later taken to the General Hospital in Otukpo for treatment of injuries sustained during the abduction.