Two Escapes As Gunmen Abducts Abia State University Students

Unknown gunmen have abducted an unspecified number of students of the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU).

In a statement on Thursday, the State’s Commissioner of Information, John Kalu said the students were abducted while travelling in a commercial bus along the Okigwe-Uturu road around 8pm on Wednesday.

According to him, the bus ran into the gunmen while they were operating on the road and that two of the students escaped from their clutches, while others were still being held hostage by the criminals.

“Abia State Government is currently monitoring an incident that happened in Okigwe, Imo State, yesterday which led to the suspected abduction of yet to be determined number of students of the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU), who apparently ran into a yet to be identified gang of hoodlums operating along the Okigwe-Uturu Road.

“Preliminary information available to us indicates that the students were moving in a mini van from Okigwe to Uturu between 7pm – 8pm when they ran into the armed gang who marched them into the nearby forest along with other yet to be identified travelers.

“Two of the students managed to escape from the hoodlums while others are still being held at a yet to be identified location.

“We are working with the government of Imo State and relevant security agencies in both states to ensure the rescue of the abducted students and others.

“Members of the public and ABSU community are advised to remain calm as we will spare no resource in ensuring the safety of the victims.

“No criminal operating within our environment will be allowed to escape justice as we take the job of protecting lives and property of Abians and visitors to the State very seriously, ” the statement reads.

KanyiDaily had also reported how 39 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna, were kidnapped by bandits on March 11, 2021.

Aside the Afaka abduction, no fewer than 23 students and a member of staff of Greenfield University, Kaduna, were also abducted from the school on April 20, 2021.