The Kogi State Government has reported the successful rescue of several students from the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene, who were abducted by gunmen last Thursday.
While the exact number of rescued students remains undisclosed, the government credited the operation’s success to the coordinated efforts of security forces and local vigilantes, who demonstrated overwhelming firepower against the kidnappers.
Advertorial
In an official statement released by the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, on Sunday, it was confirmed that “some” of the abducted students had been safely recovered.
The statement read, “Local hunters and security personnel engaged the kidnappers in a fierce exchange of gunfire, forcing the abductors to retreat with gunshot wounds, while the rescued students managed to flee in different directions to evade capture.”
Many of the liberated students, along with other captives, have been transported to medical facilities for urgent medical attention, with ongoing efforts by security agencies to locate and rescue the remaining students still held captive.
The abduction took place on Thursday night as bandits stormed the university premises around 9 p.m., disrupting students who were preparing for upcoming exams.
The assailants, arriving through the bush, reportedly entered three lecture halls and fired shots into the air to instill fear among the students.
Governor Usman Ododo, in a statement issued on Friday, assured the public of the safe return of the kidnapped students, while also pledging to deploy the state’s security apparatus to track down the perpetrators and ensure the captives’ safe release.
During a visit to the school campus, Governor Ododo expressed concerns about potential insider collaboration in the abduction, citing suspicions of sabotage based on the apparent deactivation of CCTV cameras on the day of the attack.
