Breaking: Gunmen Abduct Students From Abia StateUniversity

Unknown gunmen on Wednesday night attacked Abia State University (ABUS) in Uturu, Abia state, kidnapping an unspecified number of students, it has emerged.

According to Vanguard, the hoodlums whisked the students into the forest shortly after they ambushed them while journeying on a bus along Okigwe-Uturu Road.

Confirming the incident, Abia State Government assured that efforts were being intensified to ensure the safe return of the abducted students.

Commissioner for Information, Chief John Okiyi Kalu who gave the assurance in a press release expressed that the state government was collaborating with the neighboring Imo State to rescue and students.

The statement reads in part;

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 the 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 minivan from Okigwe to Uturu between 7 pm – 8 pm when they ran into the armed gang who marched them into the nearby forest along with others 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.

It added;

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 resources 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 the lives and property of Abians and visitors to the State very seriously.

The latest case of school abduction comes less than a day after 27 students abducted by bandits from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in Kaduna State regained their freedom after 55 days in captivity.

More details to come.