Security sources have confirmed that 20 medical students who were kidnapped in Benue State have been rescued.
The operation was coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser, with the support of the Nigeria Police Force.
The students were abducted last Friday while traveling to Enugu State for a program. They were ambushed by bandits around Otukpo, and their captors demanded a ransom of ₦50 million.
Following the abduction, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, ordered the prompt deployment of resources to ensure the swift rescue of the students.
The police force worked tirelessly to track down the kidnappers and secure the release of the hostages.
Details of the rescue operation are still sketchy, but security sources have confirmed that the students have regained their freedom. The rescue is seen as a major success in the fight against kidnapping in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Police Force has appealed to the public to provide useful information and actionable intelligence to aid in the ongoing investigation and the pursuit of the perpetrators.
The force remains committed to protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians and maintaining peace and stability throughout the country.
In the past six years, the federal highway from Otukpo through Ugbokolo in the Okpokwu Local Government Area down to Odoba and Otukpa in Ogbadibu Local Government Area has become one of Nigeria’s dangerous roads to travel due to the notorious kidnap syndicate controlling the thick forests and vast ungoverned spaces.
Some weeks ago, the management team of the Benue State Polytechnic Ugbokolo, led by the Rector was kidnapped on that axis.
This was aside from several other victims including Catholic priests and many other kidnapping cases of motorists with little or no effort to tame the menace.
