A bloody mayhem was averted in Makurdi, Benue State capital, on Monday,when 50 candidates of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board,JAMB,were arrested for staging a violent protest.

Hyacinth Dagala, Commissioner of Police in the state, said the police intervened to prevent breakdown of law and order when the candidates started throwing stones at JAMB officials.

According to him, the stones injured one of the security guards and a police officer attached to the office.

“The candidates numbering over 300 approached the JAMB Zonal Office in Makurdi and demanded their printouts. The JAMB officials pleaded with them to come back after one hour for their slips, but they refused and started throwing stones at the officials and security operatives.

“They injured one police officer, a security guard and some women who were selling food around the office and also burnt tyres on the road,” the commissioner said.

Dagala said the police rushed to the scene and arrested the protesters in order to calm the situation.

Some of the protesters have since been reportedly released, while the injured security officials are being treated in the hospital.