In a brazen attack that sent shockwaves through the academic community, gunmen have abducted 10 students from the Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa State in the early hours of Thursday.
The assailants targeted the students’ off-campus settlement in Gandu, located opposite the institution’s permanent site, around 2 am.
According to eyewitnesses, the armed men fired sporadically during the raid, creating panic among the students who were in the midst of writing their examinations.
Some students managed to escape by fleeing into nearby bushes, while the gunmen rounded up those who were unable to evade capture.
A source from the affected area shared the harrowing experience, stating, “Some of us were lucky to have escaped into the nearby bushes.”
The incident raises concerns about the security of students residing off-campus and highlights the vulnerability of these settlements.
The Nasarawa State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Nansel Ramhan, confirmed the abduction but emphasized that details remain sketchy.
“The command has tried to gather facts and the identity of the victims, but it is finding it difficult to authenticate the information,” stated DSP Ramhan.
The university’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, revealed that the institution is in the process of compiling the inventory of affected students. As of press time, he confirmed that five students have been identified as kidnapped.
However, he stressed that it is too early to ascertain the exact number, considering the off-campus nature of the affected students’ residences.
“It is too early to ascertain the exact number of students because those affected are not living within the school but off-campus,” explained Mr Ibrahim. “From available information, the number of students abducted is between three to five.
However, the university is working hard to ensure all students live within the school campus.”
This incident follows a series of attacks in recent times around the university communities, raising concerns about the safety of students and residents in the area. Early last month, a 300-level student from the Sociology Department was shot, and a prominent businessman was kidnapped in a raid on the same Gandu community.
Responding to the escalating security challenges, Governor Abdullahi Sule had previously promised to bolster security measures around the institution.
However, the latest abduction underscores the pressing need for comprehensive and immediate action to ensure the safety of students within and around Federal University Lafia.
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