Bandits launched a daring attack on the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene in Kogi State on Thursday night, abducting several students as they prepared for their upcoming exams.
Eyewitnesses reported that the bandits stormed the university campus around 9 pm, catching the students off guard as they were engrossed in their studies.
The attackers, armed and masked, entered three lecture halls and began firing shots into the air, causing panic and chaos among the students.
“They trapped the students inside the halls and started taking them; the school was thrown into total confusion as fear-stricken students in other halls scurried to safety, scampering in various directions,” one witness recounted.
Local security guards and conventional security personnel stationed at the gate attempted to repel the attackers, engaging them in a confrontation.
However, despite their efforts, the bandits managed to abduct some students, although the damage was limited to the first three halls.
A student, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that he and his colleagues sought refuge in the nearby bush, hiding for over an hour until the area became calm enough for them to cautiously emerge.
Confirming the incident, CUSTEC Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulraman Asipita, acknowledged the abduction but declined to provide further details regarding the number of students taken.
“I don’t talk to journalists on incidents like this, but I want you to know that we are on top of the situation,” Prof. Asipita assured.
Efforts to reach the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bethrand Onuoha, and the State Security Adviser, Retired Cdre Jerry Omodara, proved unsuccessful as they could not be reached for comments.
Abduction for ransom has become increasingly common in various parts of the country, with criminal elements targeting innocent citizens for financial gain.
In February, gunmen reportedly kidnapped nine travellers along the Kabba/Obajana/Lokoja Road in Kogi State, underscoring the growing security challenges facing the nation.
NAN
