Terror bandits on Saturday night invaded the Mararaba Akunza community area of the Federal University of Lafia, Lafia Local Government Area of Nasarawa State and abducted four students of the institution.
Meanwhile, the twin daughters of Oba Samuel Adelodun, the Owalobo of Obbo Ayegunle in Kwara and three of his aides have been rescued been rescued by the Police, 48 hours after their abduction in Ekiti Local government area of the State.
Sources said that the abduction of the students occurred between 7-8pm when it was raining heavily, adding that the bandits came in large numbers and started shooting sporadically into the air and taking their victims to an unknown destination.
Already, the source noted that the kidnappers have made contact with the family of the victims around 11.30pm last night, demanding N25 million ransom.
Said the source: “The gunmen came in their large number and started shooting sporadically into the air, scaring residents of Mararaba Akunza community, before abducting four students. But nobody knows whether they are students of Federal University of Lafia.
“It was raining heavily on Saturday night when the suspected kidnappers came in with their AK 47 riffles and carried out their operation successfully that lasted for several hours and succeeded in kidnapping some students, but no one knows whether they are students of Federal University of Lafia.”
The source noted that one of the kidnap victim is Zafir Yahaya, the first son of a prominent politician in the State, Mr Yahaya Adams, popularly called Majo.
Already, on Sunday morning, the Chief Security (CSO) of the Federal University of Lafia, Wing Commander Umar Mohammed (rtd), alongside some students of the institution, had made complaints before the OC Anti-Kidnapping, Mr Eyoh Anette.
However, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, denied that those victims were students of the Federal University of Lafia, saying: “None of our students was kidnapped by suspected kidnappers. The incident happened outside the university. No report from any parent regarding the abduction of their children schooling in our institution.”
The Nasarawa State Police Public Relation Officer, ASP Nansel Ramhan, said the command only heard about the incident on social media, but immediately drafted men to the scene of the incident to investigate how it happened.
He said no official complaint has been made yet to the command, assuring that an investigation was ongoing to unravel the rationale behind the invasion of the area.
Said the Police Spokesperson, “the command is yet to receive an official complaint from the institution.”
The Spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, Ajayi Okansami, said the Monarch’s twin daughters and aides’ rescue was made possible with the support of the families of the victims, collaboration of vigilante, local hunters of the area and the traditional ruler.
According to him, “the Kidnappers under intense pressure from the forces of the Command’s Tactical teams, and the vigilante abandoned their victims and escaped into the bushes.”
“The victims were thereafter rescued unhurt, medically examined, found healthy and handed over to their families.”
He said efforts are being made to arrest the fleeing kidnappers, adding that confidence building patrols and stop and search procedures have been ordered by the Commissioner of Police, Tuesday Assayomo.
