Eight students of the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, abducted by some unknown gunmen have regained their freedom.
Some gunmen had on the night of December 6, 2023 stormed the Gandu community and kidnapped some students of the institution who lived off the campus.
A community leader in the Keana Local Government Area, Mr Spencer Jerry, confirmed the release of the students, saying they arrived in Kwarra village at about 8pm on Sunday.
He said the students, who looked pale and exhausted, had been taken to Lafia by police operatives attached to the anti-kidnapping unit. He added that the community offered them food before they left.
District Head of Gandu community, located opposite the university, Abdullahi Mohammed, while also confirming the release of the students, said they had been moved to the school’s medical centre for checkup.
He also appealed to the state government to ensure that security agencies investigate, arrest and prosecute those causing unrest in the university community and the state at large.
But state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Rahman Nansel, said the command didn’t have any information on how the students were abducted and subsequently released by their abductors.
The PPRO stated, “The community did not inform the command when the incident happened. Up till this moment, nothing of such occurred. We have not received any report of the kidnapping.”
Head of Information and Public Relations of the university, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, who also confirmed the release of the students, revealed that the eight students were released around 8pm on Sunday.
Ibrahim added that all the students had been reunited with their families after medical examination and counselling.
He added that the institution, in conjunction with the state government, would ensure that security was tightened in and around the university to avert a recurrence of the incident.