Around 20 medical students were abducted in Benue State, police authorities confirmed on Friday.
The students were traveling to Enugu State, passing through the Otukpo Local Government Area in Benue, when they encountered bandits.
The incident was confirmed by the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Sewuese Anene, who informed journalists that the students were en route to a program in Enugu when they were ambushed by kidnappers near Otukpo on Thursday evening around 5:30 pm.
Anene stated, “Yes, it happened yesterday, Thursday evening around 5:30 pm.
The medical students were said to be traveling from the Jos axis and heading to Enugu in two buses when they were kidnapped around the Otukpo area.”
While Anene could not specify the university the students were from, he confirmed that they were medical students in transit.
He added that a full investigation into the incident is underway.
The Otukpo-Ugbokolo highway, extending through the Okpokwu Local Government Area to Odoba and Otukpa in Ogbadibu, has become increasingly dangerous over the past six years due to rampant kidnappings.
Six weeks ago, the management team of Benue State Polytechnic Ugbokolo, including the Rector, was kidnapped on this route.
The area has seen numerous other kidnappings, including of Catholic priests and motorists, with little progress made in curbing the menace.
