After more than a week in captivity, the students were reportedly released at approximately 9 o’clock on Wednesday night.
Abductors have finally freed the female students after eight days of captivity at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi (JoSTUM), formerly known as Federal University of Agriculture (FUAM).
IREPORT247NEW reported that four female students of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, were kidnapped by gunmen on Tuesday, February 25. According to reports, the abduction occurred between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. while the students were on their way to read.
A senior staff member of the university, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the abduction. “The students were going to read that night when they were kidnapped between their hostels and the reading point at North Core.”
A student identified the kidnapped students as Emmanuella, Fola, Susan, and Ella, stating that they had left their hostel to read when they were kidnapped on the way between the hostel and the classroom.
Colleagues and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, JoSTUM section, were outraged by their kidnapping and called for their swift release.
As a result of the incident, the university’s administration has decided to close the campus permanently until the security issues can be addressed.
After more than a week in captivity, the students were reportedly released at approximately 9 o’clock on Wednesday night.
After being released, the girls were whisked away for rehabilitation and medical exams, according to a close family friend of one of the pupils who verified the news.
“I can confirm that the three girls have been released. They regained their freedom at about 9pm Wednesday and they have been moved to a medical facility for proper medical checkup and rehabilitation because their captors took them far into the forest and they should be given proper medical attention because they are also traumatized,” she said.
While this was going on, attempts to obtain confirmation from the Chief Superintendent of the Criminal Service Police, Catherine Anene, who is the Police Public Relations Officer, were fruitless.