Medical students from the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) were reportedly abducted in Benue State while traveling to Enugu

Several medical students from the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) were abducted on Thursday evening in Benue State along the Otukpo-Enugu highway. The students, 18 in total, were traveling to attend the annual conference of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) at the Enugu State University of Technology.

Of the abducted students, 12 are from UNIJOS and six are from UNIMAID. According to sources, the abduction occurred a few kilometers after Otukpo, in the Oglewu area, approximately 8 to 10 kilometers past the town and over 100 kilometers from Enugu. One of the students managed to send an SOS message to the FECAMDS WhatsApp platform, along with Google Map coordinates showing the location of the abduction.

Benue State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ms. Sewuese Anene, confirmed the incident and stated that an investigation is ongoing. UNIJOS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tanko Ishaya, also verified the abduction, noting that security agencies had been notified and are actively working to secure the release of the students. He added that the university is closely monitoring the situation.

While initial reports from the Senior Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications at UNIJOS, Mr. Abdullahi Abdullahi, indicated he was unaware of the abduction, he later confirmed that the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) had contacted the state Commissioner of Police and the Director of DSS to coordinate efforts with security counterparts in Benue.

The kidnappers have demanded a ransom of 50 million Naira for the release of the students.