Gunmen have kidnapped some students of Uturu-based Abia State University (ABSU).
The students were kidnapped Wednesday in Okigwe, as they were heading to Uturu.
According to AbaCity blog, the students were said to be travelling in a mini van from Okigwe to Uturu between 7pm – 8pm when the gunmen ambushed their vehicle and kidnapped them.
Two of the students escaped from their abductors, commissioner for information John Okiyi Kalu said in a government reaction.
Read the full statement:
Abia State Government is currently monitoring an incident that happened in Okigwe, Imo State, yesterday which led to the suspected abduction of yet to be determined number of students of the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU), who apparently ran into a yet to be identified gang of hoodlums operating along the Okigwe-Uturu Road.
“Preliminary information available to us indicates that the students were moving in a mini van from Okigwe to Uturu between 7pm – 8pm when they ran into the armed gang who marched them into the nearby forest along with other yet to be identified travellers.
“Two of the students managed to escape from the hoodlums while others are still being held at a yet to be identified location.
“We are working with the government of Imo State and relevant security agencies in both states to ensure the rescue of the abducted students and others.
“Members of the public and ABSU community are advised to remain calm as we will spare no resource in ensuring the safety of the victims.
“No criminal operating within our environment will be allowed to escape justice as we take the job of protecting lives and property of Abians and visitors to the State very seriously”.
ABSU students were the second set of university students to be kidnapped by terrorists.
On 20 April, 20 students and two staff of Greenfield University were kidnapped in Kaduna.
Five of them have been executed, after Kaduna Government rejected the demand for N800m ransom.
One of the students was released on 1 May, after the parents met the demand for ransom.
Nigerians anxiously await the fate of the remaining 16.
In March the terrorists also kidnapped 39 students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Afaka, Kaduna.
The terrorists initially released 10 of the students.
On Wednesday, they released 27 other captives. Two of the captives are still unaccounted for.
