In a significant development, the Kogi State Government has announced the successful rescue of six additional students from the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, Kogi, who were previously abducted.
According to Kingsley Fanwo, the Commissioner for Information in the state, the recent rescue brings the total number of freed students to 20.
However, he noted that four students are still unaccounted for, emphasizing ongoing efforts to locate them.
Fanwo disclosed that during a confrontation with security forces, some of the kidnappers sustained severe injuries, highlighting the intensity of the operation to secure the students’ release.
He recounted that the initial rescue operation saw nine students liberated, with an additional five found the following day. The families of the newly rescued six students have confirmed their safe return home.
The abduction incident at the Kogi varsity adds to the distressing trend of attacks on educational institutions across Nigeria.
Since the infamous abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok village by Boko Haram insurgents in 2014, numerous similar incidents have occurred, perpetuating a climate of fear and insecurity.
Recent events include the mass kidnapping of students from the remote Kuriga School in Kaduna State, who were later rescued in Zamfara state.
This incident underscores the persistent threat posed by armed groups, with their reach expanding beyond the traditional hotspots in the North-Western and North-Eastern regions to other parts of the country.
Despite assurances from the Federal Government and security agencies, the unabated activities of these criminal elements continue to wreak havoc, prompting widespread calls for proactive measures to address the security challenges.
