Gunmen have abducted three students of the Federal University of Lafia in Nasarawa State, with the police rescuing one of the victims while intensifying efforts to secure the release of the remaining two.
The students were kidnapped at about 9:20 p.m. on Monday at Living Seed Lodge, an off-campus hostel located in a bushy area on the outskirts of Lafia.
The Nasarawa State Police Command said it received a distress call from the university’s Chief Security Officer reporting that unidentified armed men had invaded the lodge and whisked away the three students.
Following the report, the Commissioner of Police, Shetima Jauro Mohammed, deployed tactical teams, patrol operatives and other security personnel to the area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, said a coordinated search-and-rescue operation was immediately launched in the surrounding forest, leading to the rescue of one of the abducted students.
He added that the Commissioner of Police had directed all operational and intelligence assets of the command to sustain the operation until the remaining two victims are rescued unharmed.
“No effort will be spared in bringing the criminals to justice,” the command said.
The police urged residents to remain calm, remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to the nearest police station.
Living Seed Lodge is an off-campus student residence outside the university’s main campus. The Federal University of Lafia has recorded similar abductions in nearby off-campus communities in recent years, largely due to limited hostel accommodation, which has forced many students to live in surrounding areas.
The identities of the abducted students have not been disclosed, while security patrols have been intensified around student residential areas in Lafia.
