In a harrowing incident, almost 50 students of Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara, Okene, in Kogi State were abducted by terrorists during a violent invasion on Thursday night.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers stormed the university premises while students were preparing for their first-semester examination scheduled to start on Monday, May 13. The assailants, armed and shooting indiscriminately, trapped students inside three lecture halls, creating chaos and panic.
“Kidnappers invaded the school to kidnap almost 50 students,” revealed one student, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Witnesses reported that the attackers, who arrived through the bush, commenced shooting upon arrival. Despite the swift response of security guards, some students were abducted before the assailants could be repelled.
“We only ventured out when everywhere became quiet,” shared a student who sought refuge in the bush during the attack.
In the aftermath, a video shared by student Alim S. Ubeida depicted a lecture room strewn with slippers, notebooks, and pens, revealing the chaos left behind by the invaders. Ubeida pleaded for assistance from the Nigerian Army, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
CUSTECH Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulraman Asipita, confirmed the incident but refrained from divulging specific details regarding the number of abducted students. “I don’t talk to journalists on incidents like this, but I want you to know that we are on top of the situation,” he assured.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the state police command, William Ovye Aya, were unsuccessful, exacerbating concerns about the safety of the abducted students and the urgency of the situation.
As authorities work to address the crisis, the CUSTECH community remains gripped by fear and uncertainty, awaiting swift action to secure the release of the abducted students and ensure the safety of all students on campus.