THE management of Joseph Sarwuaan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, formerly known as the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has ordered the immediate closure of the institution following the abduction of three students by unidentified armed men.
The management granted a one-week mid-semester break and directed that all students vacate their hostels by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 26.
In an internal memo titled “Security Situation on Campus,” issued on Wednesday and signed by Registrar John David, the university confirmed that three students were abducted by the kidnappers.
It noted that the abduction occurred at around 8:00 pm on Tuesday, February 25, between Zamfara Hostel and Ring Road in the North Core area of the campus.
The memo reads: “Sequel to the unfortunate incident that occurred on campus (Tuesday, February 25th, 2025) at about 8:00 pm, where unknown armed men abducted three students between Zamfara Hostel and Ring Road in North Core, the university management, after a series of consultative meetings with security agencies and stakeholders, resolved the following: “The university management condemns the incident in its entirety. The government and the security agencies have been duly informed about the unfortunate incident.
“All staff, students, and the general public are enjoined to remain calm as security agencies are working tirelessly to secure the release of the abducted students.”
It further announced that the inaugural lecture scheduled for February 26, had been postponed indefinitely.
“The inaugural lecture scheduled for today, February 26th, 2025, is postponed indefinitely. In solidarity with the students and parents of the abducted students, the university management has granted a one-week mid-semester break to all students to adequately address the security challenges on campus.
“Consequently, all students are to vacate their hostels by 4:00 pm today, Wednesday, February 26th, 2025,” the memo added.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Sewuese Anene, confirmed in a telephone conversation with The ICIR that a team of investigators had been dispatched to the scene.
The ICIR reported that the incident ignited protests on campus, with students rallying and brandishing tree branches to demand immediate action from university authorities.
The latest incident came amid a chain of insecurity in Benue State, which has seen a spate of kidnappings in recent years.
In a similar incident last August 2024, over 20 medical and dental students from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos were abducted while en route to an annual conference in Enugu State.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M