Abducted Nasarawa Varsity Students Regain Freedom

After four days in captivity, the abducted students of the Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa State have been released by kidnappers.

Gunmen had stormed an off-campus students’ settlement in Gandu opposite the institution’s permanent site at about 2am on December 6 and kidnapped the students.

The eight affected students were said to have been released Sunday night.

LEADERSHIP gathered that their abductors had demanded N30 million for their release while insisting that the state government must pay the sum itself.

It was not clear whether the amount demanded for the ransom was paid before the students were eventually released as Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, Head of Information and Public Relations of the institution, said nothing like that happened.

He said the students are safe and sound, adding that they have since been reunited with their families after a thorough medical examination.

A community leader in the Keana local area of the state, Mr Spencer Jerry, said the students arrived at Kwarra village in the council at about eight o’clock on Sunday night, adding that the students were offered bread and minerals while in the community.

According to him, they were moved to Lafia by the kidnap operatives of the Nigeria Police afterwards.

The head of the Gandu community where the students were kidnapped, Mr Hassan Kassimu, also confirmed their release.

He urged the state government and the security agencies to beef up security in the area to forestall a reoccurrence of the incident.

The state police command’s spokesperson Ramhan Nansel said that the command was not aware of the kidnap or release of the students.