At least three students have been identified as among those abducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, on Saturday night.
Reports indicated that the incident occurred at about 10.30pm and the incident was reported to the police by the university’s Chief Security Officer, CSO, at 6.30am on Sunday, April 25.
Impeccable sources gave the names of three of the victims as Salifu Solomon Odoma, a student in the Department of Engineering; Bala Abdul Okeme, a student of the School of Post Graduate Studies, and Kwagher Israel, a student who department could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
A senior police officer who does not want his name mentioned, however, said the state police command suspects that the victims were abducted by yet-to-be-identified fellow university students.
It was further learnt that the police have intensified efforts to track the kidnappers who reportedly abducted the students within the school premises.
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the institution Prof. Richard Kimbir who confirmed the development to newsmen on phone in Makurdi, said unconfirmed number of students were kidnapped from the school at the weekend.
He said university authority is very sure of two students abducted, though unconfirmed reports indicated the more than the figure, adding, ‘the University management is meeting to appraisal the situation. It is after the meeting that we will be able to ascertain the figure. The kidnappers have made contact with us”.
Spokesperson for the Benue State police command , DSP Catherine Anene also told newsmen on Monday, in Makurdi, that the police received information from the school authority on 24th April, 2021, that some unknown persons came into the school premises and kidnapped three (3) students studying close to the lecture theater.
She said they have deployed their team who are working physically and technically to ensure the release of the abducted students. “I urge members of the public to remain calm as we are doing our best to arrest the perpetrators of the crime. I appeal to parents of the students not to be tense but remain calm as we will do everything to ensure the release of their children”, Anene warned.
