SOME yet-to-be-identified number of students of Abia State University Uturu (ABSU) and other travellers have been abducted by ‘hoodlums’ along Okigwe-Uturu Road in Imo State.
Abia State Commissioner for Information John Okiyi confirmed the incident to The ICIR during a telephone conversation on Thursday.
Okiyi said the students were abducted around 7 or 8 pm on Wednesday while they were on their way to the university.
He stated that although the incident took place in Imo State, some of the abducted persons were students of Abia State University. He added that during the course of the abduction, two students of the university escaped from the scene.
“The students were on their way to the university along Okigwe-Uturu Road before the gang of hoodlums attacked them. We don’t know whether they are herders, but we know they are criminals,” Okiyi said.
According to Okiyi, the hoodlums stopped about three buses on the road, noting that the state government was not sure how many students were abducted yet.
“Our preliminary investigation revealed that there were four of them, two escaped but we are not sure how many are in their custody yet,” Okiyi added.
The commissioner further stated that while the abductees were still being held at an undisclosed location, the state was working with the Imo government and security agencies to rescue the abducted students and others.
The Imo State Police Command is yet to respond to further inquiries from The ICIR about the full details of the abduction.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94