Jubilation As 14 Abducted Kogi University Students Get Rescued by Police, Hunters

The Kogi State Police Command confirmed that they have rescued 14 abducted students from Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene.

On May 12, 2024, the Kogi State Police Command confirmed the successful rescue of 14 abducted students from Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene. The students were taken by bandits while studying for their upcoming exams on Thursday night.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, William Aya, the bandits stormed the university through the bush, firing shots into the air to intimidate the students. As of Sunday, efforts were underway to locate the remaining abducted students.

Additionally, the state government, represented by Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, reported the successful rescue of some abducted students.

The operation, credited to the coordinated efforts of security operatives and local vigilantes, resulted in a shootout with the kidnappers, who ultimately fled, leaving the students behind.

Fanwo highlighted the bravery of local hunters and security forces, acknowledging their role in securing the release of the students.

However, casualties were reported among the rescuers, with a local hunter and a DSS operative sustaining injuries during the operation.

Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the safe return of the abducted students.

During a visit to the school campus, Ododo expressed suspicion of internal collaboration in the abduction, citing the inexplicable shutdown of CCTV cameras during the attack.

He emphasized the need for vigilance among residents and urged cooperation with law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators. The government assured ongoing efforts to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in the state.

The statement read, “This is to inform the general public that some of the students abducted by gunmen at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, have been rescued safely by local hunters and other security agents.

“Local vigilante men and security agents engaged the kidnappers in a fierce shootout and the kidnappers succumbed to superior firepower and escaped with gun wounds, leaving the kidnapped students who also ran in different directions to avoid being caught up in the fire exchange.

“Many of the students kidnapped and even other people in captivity have been rescued and taken to medical facilities for proper attention, while many others were also rescued in the early hours of today.”

The commissioner noted that “in the sporadic gun battle to rescue our dear students, a local hunter and a DSS operative sustained injuries and they are currently receiving medical attention.”

“The success recorded so far is a clear testament to the readiness of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to ensure adequate and uncompromising security for the people of Kogi State. We urge residents to report anyone with gun wounds found in their communities to law enforcement agents,” Fanwo added.

However, in a statement on Friday, Ododo had assured the safe return of the abducted students, adding that the government had “activated the security architecture to track the kidnappers and ensure the abducted students are rescued and the abductors apprehended.”

The statement also noted that “nine students” were reported missing as security operatives and local hunters were working to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students.

On his visit to the school campus, Ododo alleged there was an insider collaboration in the abduction of the nine students.

He said, “We installed CCTV cameras in all the classrooms and the entire perimeter of the university campus yet on the day of the attack, our investigation so far revealed that all the cameras were switched off and this can only be attributed to sabotage by internal collaborators.”

READ ALSO: Governor Ododo Alleges Sabotage in Kogi University Student Abduction

SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, PUNCH