THE Benue State Police Command has confirmed the release of 20 medical students who were kidnapped in Benue State on Thursday, August 15.
Reports in the media disclosed that the rescue effort was coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
Confirming the release to The ICIR in a chat on Saturday, August 24, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, said the students were rescued on Thursday, August 23. However, details surrounding their release are still sketchy.
“Yes, they were released yesterday. I got the information yesterday but no details yet. The team has not given me details,” Anene stated.
According to reports, the rescue operation involved a collaborative effort from various security agencies, including the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), State Security Services (SSS), and military personnel.
Previously, the police had utilized helicopters in an attempt to rescue the kidnapped medical students, highlighting the multi-faceted approach to securing their release.
The ICIR reported on August 16, that gunmen abducted over 20 medical and dental students and a house officer in Benue State.
The students who are from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos were traveling to Enugu for the annual meeting of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) before they were ambushed by gunmen around 5:30 p.m. in the Otukpo area of the state.
In an earlier confirmation of the incident to The ICIR on Friday, August 16, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command said an investigation had been launched into the abduction.
Benue has been one of Nigeria’s epicenters of conflict and insecurity in recent years. While armed herdsmen are on the rampage in one part of the state, local bandits are wreaking havoc in other parts of the state.
About two weeks ago, gunmen reportedly killed many residents of the Ayati community in the Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.
According to reports, not less than 50 people were killed in the attack on Thursday, August 8.
Confirming the incident in a chat with The ICIR on Friday, August 9, a leader in the community, Shima Ayati, said that over 50 corpses were recovered from the village as of Friday morning.
He blamed the state local security unit, Benue Community Volunteer Guards, for leaving the residents unprotected after starting a fight with ‘herders’.
He added that some victims with serious injuries were taken to the hospital for medical attention.
A reporter with the ICIR
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