Six students of the Nigerian Law School have been abducted by gunmen suspected to be bandits in Benue State while travelling to resume academic activities at the institution’s Yola Campus in Adamawa State.
The abduction, according to NewsPointNigeria, occurred on the evening of Saturday, July 26, along the volatile Wukari-Benue border axis, a highway notorious for kidnappings, armed robbery, and sporadic attacks by criminal groups.
The students were said to be travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, after completing their mandatory court externship programme.
The Yola Law School Campus is scheduled to reopen on Monday, July 28.
A fellow student, Damilare Adenola, confirmed the incident and expressed deep concern about his colleagues’ safety.
“Six students of the Nigerian Law School have been reportedly kidnapped by suspected armed bandits while travelling to resume school after their court externship break,” he said.
The abducted students were identified as: Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel and Obiorah David.
A student union leader at the Yola campus, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed that the abduction had been reported to the authorities.
“We are all in shock here in Yola. We’ve been in contact with the Adamawa State Police Command, but we’ve also been told that the incident happened outside their jurisdiction. We are waiting and praying for more concrete updates,” the student leader said.
When contacted, a spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, SP Yahaya Suleiman, acknowledged reports of the incident but clarified that it occurred outside the state’s territory.
“The abduction did not happen within Adamawa borders. We’ve traced the location to an area near Benue,” Suleiman said.
He added that efforts were ongoing across state lines to secure the safe return of the students.
“We are in constant communication with the Benue State Police Command and other relevant security outfits. The safety of those travelling into or out of Adamawa is a top priority,” he stressed.
However, as of press time, attempts to reach the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, SP Anene Catherine, had been unsuccessful.
Multiple calls and text messages sent to her mobile line remained unanswered, deepening concerns among families and friends of the abducted students.
The Nigeria Police Force has failed to respond to inquiries about plans to rescue the abducted law students on the Taraba-Benue axis.
When contacted on the plans to ensure the rescue of the victims of the kidnapping on the Taraba-Benue axis, the Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, did not respond as of the time of filing this report.
Messages sent to the Force PRO’s WhatsApp platform were also not answered, as the police kept mum.
