JUST IN: Gunmen Abduct Six Law School Students on Way to Yola

No fewer than six students of the Nigerian Law School have reportedly been kidnapped by armed assailants while traveling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to the Yola campus in Adamawa State.

The abduction took place late on Saturday, July 26, as the students were making their way back to campus following a break for their mandatory court externship program.

Academic activities at the Yola campus were scheduled to resume on Monday, July 28.

PUNCH Online confirmed the incident through a phone conversation with Damilare Adenola, a fellow student of the Nigerian Law School in Yola.

According to Adenola, the students were allegedly intercepted and taken by suspected bandits while in transit.

“Six students of the Nigerian Law School have been reportedly kidnapped by suspected armed bandits while traveling to resume school after their court externship break,” he said.

Among the abducted students, several have already been identified.

They include Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel, and Obiorah David.

Adenola noted that the kidnapping occurred along a known volatile corridor between Wukari in Taraba State and a region of Benue State.

This stretch of road has a reputation for insecurity, with recurring incidents involving armed attacks on travelers.

A student leader at the Yola campus, who asked not to be named due to the sensitive nature of the situation, confirmed that the matter has been reported to law enforcement authorities.

“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 explained.

The Adamawa State Police Command, when contacted, confirmed awareness of the incident.

However, the spokesperson for the command, Yahaya Suleiman, clarified that the kidnapping did not take place within Adamawa’s territorial jurisdiction.

“The abduction did not occur inside Adamawa State. I would encourage you to contact the Benue State Police Command for more details,” Suleiman advised.

He further assured the public that security agencies across state lines were collaborating to secure the safe release of the abducted students.

“We cooperate not only with the police in other states but also with other sister agencies to ensure that those coming into Adamawa are safe, without harassment or intimidation,” Suleiman stated.

According to him, the Adamawa command is actively working alongside their Benue counterparts to rescue the students.

“The command is collaborating with officers and men of the Benue State Police Command to ensure these students are rescued,” he added.

Efforts to obtain comments from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.

Repeated calls and messages sent to the command’s spokesperson, Anene Catherine, went unanswered.

The incident has raised concerns among students and the broader public about the safety of travel routes in parts of northern and central Nigeria.

The stretch between Taraba and Benue, in particular, has witnessed multiple security breaches in recent years, often attributed to bandits and other criminal groups.

This latest abduction has once again underscored the vulnerability of travelers, including students, to violent crime in areas plagued by insecurity.

It also adds to growing calls for the Nigerian government and security agencies to prioritize safer transit corridors and adopt more proactive measures to combat kidnapping and related crimes.

As families, fellow students, and authorities await more information, there is growing anxiety about the well-being of the abducted individuals.

Law enforcement officials have yet to provide a timeline for possible rescue efforts, but the cross-state cooperation between security agencies offers a glimmer of hope for a successful outcome.

The Nigerian Law School has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident.

Stakeholders, including student unions and civil rights organizations, are expected to issue responses in the coming days as the situation unfolds.

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