20 medical students who were kidnapped in Benue State have been rescued, according to security sources.
The operation was coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser, with the involvement of security agencies such as the police, Department of State Services (DSS), and military personnel and equipment. The Benue State government also provided support for the operation.
Although details of the rescue operation are still sketchy, it is understood that the students were abducted while traveling through the Otukpo Local Government area in Benue State.
They were on their way to Enugu State for a program when they encountered bandits. The students were traveling in a convoy of two buses and were coming from the northern part of the country when they ran into the ambush on Thursday evening at about 5:30 pm.
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A few days after their abduction, the captors had established contact with the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of N50 million to secure the release of their hostages.
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However, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had immediately ordered the rescue of the victims, condemning the kidnapping of students as “truly appalling, callous, and unacceptable.”
The IGP had deployed substantial human and technical resources to augment the manpower of the Benue State Command and ensure the swift rescue of the students. This included the mobilization of additional tactical units, advanced helicopters, drones, and specialized tactical vehicles.
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) reiterated its commitment to protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians and will continue to work tirelessly to maintain peace, stability, and the rule of law throughout the country.
It had also appealed to the general public to provide useful information and actionable intelligence that may aid the ongoing investigation and the rescue operation.
Findings revealed that the federal highway from Otukpo through Ugbokolo in the Okpokwu Local Government Area down to Odoba and Otukpa in Ogbadibu Local Government Area has become one of Nigeria’s dangerous roads to travel due to the notorious kidnap syndicate controlling the thick forests and vast ungoverned spaces.
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