The Kogi State Government has announced that some students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene, who were taken by armed men last Thursday have been rescued.
While it's unclear how many students have been rescued, the government credited the successful rescue to the overwhelming use of force by security forces and local vigilantes against the kidnappers.
This information was given in a statement released on Sunday by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo.
The statement stated, “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 vigilantes and security agents engaged the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle, causing the kidnappers to be overpowered and flee with gunshot wounds, leaving behind the captured students who also ran in different directions to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
“Many of the abducted students and others in captivity have been rescued and taken to medical facilities for proper care, while many others were also rescued earlier today.”
Fanwo added that security agents are currently searching the forests to rescue the remaining students who are still held captive.
Bandits abducted the students who were studying for their upcoming exams on Thursday night, were attacked at the university around 9 p.m.
The bandits reportedly entered through the bushes, went into three lecture halls, and started firing into the air to intimidate the students.
In a statement released on Friday, Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo had assured the safe return of the abducted students, saying that the government had activated the security measures to track the kidnappers and ensure the abducted students are rescued and the kidnappers are caught.
The statement also mentioned that “nine students” were reported missing as security forces 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.”
