About six students of the Nigerian Law School have been abducted by suspected gunmen while travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to Yola, Adamawa State.
The incident reportedly occurred in the late hours of Saturday, July 26, as the students were on their way to resume academic activities at the Nigerian Law School’s Yola campus. The campus is scheduled to reopen on Monday, July 28, following the conclusion of the students’ court externship break.
The kidnappers are reportedly demanding ₦20 million per person.
According to a fellow student at the Yola campus, Damilare Adenola, some of the missing students have been identified as Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel, and Obiorah David.
The abduction is believed to have occurred along the Wukari-Benue axis, a region that has gained notoriety for insecurity and frequent attacks on commuters.
A student leader at the Yola campus, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the situation, disclosed that the matter had been reported to the police. “We are currently in Yola. We have contacted the Adamawa Police Command. We are just waiting for more updates from them. We haven’t got any concrete information yet,” the student said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, Yahaya Suleiman, confirmed awareness of the incident but clarified that the kidnapping did not take place within Adamawa State.
“The abduction did not occur inside Adamawa State. I would encourage you to contact the Benue State Police Command for more details,” Suleiman stated.
He assured that security agencies were actively working to rescue the abducted students. “The command is collaborating with officers and men of the Benue State Police Command to ensure these students are rescued,” he added, emphasising ongoing cooperation among security forces across state lines.
Efforts to reach the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Anene Catherine, proved unsuccessful, as calls and messages to her phone were not returned as of the time of filing this report.
The incident has sparked fresh concerns about the safety of interstate travel, especially among students and academic institutions.
