Twenty medical students who were kidnapped on August 15 in Otukpo, Benue State, have regained their freedom after eight harrowing days in captivity. The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) confirmed their release on Friday.
Their release was attributed to the combined efforts of various security agencies, including the police, Department of State Services (DSS), and the military. A member of the rescue team informed FIJ on Saturday morning that the operation to secure the students’ release had been successful. However, it remains unclear whether the students were freed through a rescue operation or if a ransom was paid.
The nation was gripped with fear last week when these students, from the University of Jos and the University of Maiduguri, were abducted while traveling to Enugu State for the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS).
Reports gathered by FIJ indicate that some of the kidnapped students were allowed to share their locations so they could contact their families and friends to arrange a ransom payment of N50 million. The kidnappers had issued a chilling ultimatum, threatening to start killing the students if the ransom was not paid by last Saturday.
Further investigations by FIJ have revealed a troubling pattern in the Otukpo area, where at least six abduction incidents have taken place over the past eight months. Each of these incidents occurred on a Thursday and along the same Enugu-Benue highway.
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