At least three students from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi have been abducted at gunpoint “by unknown persons”, the institution confirmed on Monday.
“The University has reported the incident to the police and all relevant security agencies,” a statement signed by the university’s Director of Information, Protocol and Public Relations Unit (IPPR), Mrs Rosemary Waku, said.
“The University has not heard anything from the students or their captors since the unfortunate incidence took place.”
The police has also confirmed the abduction.
“The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command has ordered a full-scale investigation into the case,” a statement from police spokesperson, Anene Sewuese, said.
The Benue abduction comes barely a week after about 20 students were abducted from Greenfield University in Kaduna.
Three of the Greenfield University students were found dead on Friday.
Speaking to journalists, in Markurdi, police spokesperson Anene Sewuese said the gunmen struck at about 10:20 pm and kidnapped three of the students studying close to a lecture theatre.
“We have received that information, we are on it and I know that we are very close,” she said.
“My advice is that the members of the public remain calm. We are doing our best to make sure that we get to the root of this and apprehend perpetrators of this crime.
“I assure the parents of these students that the police will do our best to get their children.”
The PRO who called on the parents to cooperate with the police, declined to comment on whether the gunmen had made contact with the school authorities or parents of the students to demand a ransom.
“That’s an information that is classified,” she said, adding that the police does not have to wait for contact to be established before taking action.
“As soon as we received that information, we deployed our teams. We are working both technically and physically; the school is aware we are working. So, we will continue to do our best.”
On the identities of the kidnapped students, she said, “the school is in a better place to disclose the identity of the students that were kidnapped. For now, they told us three students were kidnapped.”
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