Three Students Kidnapped By Gunmen In Nasarawa

The Nasarawa State command of the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the abduction of three students of the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) from an off-campus hostel along Awe Road, near the temporary campus of the institution in Akunza, Lafia.

One of the abducted students was rescued and an intensive search-and-rescue operation was underway to free the other two victims and arrest the gunmen, the police said.

SP Ramhan Nansel, State Police Public Relations Officer, said the command received a distress call over the incident at about 9:21 pm.

He said the gunmen stormed the students’ residence, knocked on the door and later gained access into the building.

“What happened was that the students were at home when the gunmen came. “They knocked on the door and got in,” Nansel said.

The spokesperson for the police said that the off-campus hostel was in a secluded area near the university’s temporary campus.

He said the residence was located behind a high tension power line and near a bush path leading to Awe town, a place he described as vulnerable because of its closeness to the bush.

“That place is near the bush. “There is a gate there; whether you push it with your foot or with your hand, it will open,” said Nansel.

According to the police spokesperson, kidnappers who operate around the area often use the high-tension power corridor and cattle routes to escape into the forest surrounding the area after abducting their victims.

“Most of the time when the kidnappers abduct somebody they follow the high tension line, pass through that area and head into the bush,” he added.

Police Rescue: An Student
Nansel said the Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, immediately ordered the deployment of tactical teams and patrol operatives to the scene after receiving the distress call.

Personnel were sent to the scene and the surrounding forest to conduct a coordinated search-and-rescue operation, he said.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, promptly ordered the deployment of tactical teams and patrol operatives to the scene for a coordinated search and rescue operation within the surrounding forest.

“The prompt response resulted in the rescue of one of the abducted students while efforts have been stepped up to ensure the safe release of the two remaining victims in captivity and the arrest of the perpetrators.

“The CP has ordered all operational and intelligence assets of the Command to continue the operation until the remaining victims are rescued unharmed,” Nansel said.

The police spokesperson said the search is ongoing in the areas surrounding and operatives are already on the trail of the abductors.

Nansel also warned students not to rent accommodation in isolated and vulnerable areas because of cheaper rent.

Students who are temporarily living around the university should consider pooling resources to secure accommodation in safer and more populated areas rather than staying alone in isolated buildings, he said.

“It’s not a place for anybody to live. People are looking for low-cost accommodation. “Instead of living alone, since it’s only a temporary stay, pool your resources together or contribute to rent a single house,” he said.

The Nasarawa State Police Command appealed to residents and members of the public, who have credible information on the abductors or the whereabouts of the remaining students to assist security agencies.

It guaranteed that the operational and intelligence efforts would continue until the two students still in captivity were rescued unharmed and the perpetrators arrested.