Security sources say 20 medical students who were kidnapped in Benue State have just been rescued.
The operation was coordinated by the office of the National Security Adviser.
Security agencies – the police, DSS and military personnel and equipment were involved in the operation, with the support of the Benue State government.
Though the student have regained their freedom according to security sources, details of the rescue operation are still sketchy at the moment.
News of the abduction of the students hit the media space last Friday, attracting reactions from Nigerians who condemned the rising rate of kidnapping in the country.
The victims were said to be on their way to Enugu State, passing through the Otukpo Local Government area in Benue before they encountered bandits.
They were en route to Enugu for a programme when they ran into the kidnappers around Otukpo.
The students were said to be travelling in a convoy of two buses and were coming from the northern part of the country when they ran into the ambush on Thursday evening at about 5:30 pm.
A few days after their abduction, their captors had established contact with the victims’ families, demanding a ransom of ₦50 million to secure the release of their hostages.