Two students who were abducted from the Federal University Wukari have been successfully freed after enduring a two-week-long ordeal.
The news was confirmed by Mrs. Ashu Agbu, Head of the Information and Protocol Unit at the institution, who shared the update via a WhatsApp message sent to our correspondent on Friday.
“The two students of the Federal University Wukari who were kidnapped have regained their freedom last night, after spending days in the custody of their abductors,” she stated.
While specific details regarding the students’ release were not provided, it was previously reported that the abductors had demanded a ransom of N50 million. The abduction took place on Wednesday, April 3, at approximately 10:00 PM, near a shop close to the university.
The students, identified as Joshua Sardauna from the Economics Department and Obianu Elizabeth from the Microbiology Department, had returned to the university to retake their examinations due to carry-over courses from the previous session when the incident occurred.
The university’s Chief Security Officer, Mr. Sule Gani, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with journalists in Jalingo. He described the gunmen as armed Fulani herdsmen who invaded the Federal University Wukari on Monday, April 3, 2024.
According to Mr. Gani, the gunmen targeted the students while they were eating at a food vendor shop on campus and subsequently abducted them. The safe release of the students brings a measure of relief to the university community after this distressing incident.