Tension has escalated across the Middle Belt region following a fresh violent attack in Benue State that has left more than 10 people dead, coinciding with growing anxiety over the security of candidates posted to Plateau State for the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). In the early hours of Monday, April 13, 2026, suspected armed assailants launched a coordinated assault on the Wukari-Abinse axis, a border community between Benue and Taraba states. The attackers reportedly set fire to residential buildings and agricultural stores, forcing hundreds of residents to flee into the surrounding bushes. This latest wave of violence has further complicated the security landscape for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), as parents express deep concern over the safety of students traveling to examination centers in volatile areas.
The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has condemned the Wukari-Abinse killings, describing them as “senseless acts of carnage” that undermine the state’s peace efforts. He has directed the State Emergency Management Agency to provide immediate relief to the survivors while urging the military to intensify patrols along the boundary lines. Simultaneously, in neighboring Plateau State, the security situation has prompted a formal appeal from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) to JAMB. The association’s spokesperson, Comrade Victor Egbe, highlighted that many students posted to centers in Mangu and Barkin Ladi local government areas are terrified of traveling due to recent reports of “silent killings” and ambushes along the major highways.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, under the leadership of its Registrar, Professor Is-haq Oloyede, has addressed these concerns by stating that the board is in constant communication with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Police Force. Professor Oloyede assured parents that “proactive measures” have been put in place to ensure that all examination centers are adequately guarded. However, he maintained that the board cannot unilaterally change the postings of thousands of candidates at the eleventh hour without disrupting the national examination calendar. To mitigate the risk, JAMB has encouraged candidates to travel in groups and avoid late-night movements, while the police have promised to provide “security escorts” on known high-risk routes during the examination period.
Security and educational analysts observe that the “security-education nexus” is becoming a critical challenge for national development. Experts argue that when the fear of violence dictates where a student can take an exam, it constitutes a significant barrier to educational equity. They suggest that JAMB should consider the long-term decentralization of its computer-based test (CBT) centers to ensure that students can take exams within their immediate, safer localities. Analysts maintain that the Benue-Plateau corridor requires a “special security operation” specifically tailored to the exam season to prevent insurgents from using the movement of students as an opportunity for mass abductions or coordinated attacks.
The broader implications of these dual developments point toward a deepening sense of insecurity that is now infiltrating every sector of Nigerian life. By targeting rural communities and threatening the academic pursuits of the youth, criminal elements are effectively waging a war against the future of the nation. The Federal Government has been urged to treat the protection of UTME candidates as a national priority, on par with the security provided during general elections. As the examination date approaches, the focus remains on the visible presence of security forces at the centers and the effectiveness of the “early warning systems” in the affected communities. For the parents in Benue and Plateau, the primary concern is whether their children will return home with results or become another statistic in the region’s long-running conflict.
