The abductors of six Nigerian Law School students are demanding a ransom of ₦20 million per victim, totaling ₦120 million.
The students were reportedly kidnapped by suspected gunmen in Benue State while travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to the Yola campus of the Nigerian Law School in Adamawa State on Saturday.
The abduction occurred late Saturday as the students journeyed to resume academic activities after their court externship break, with the campus scheduled to reopen on Monday.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview, a fellow law student at the Yola campus, Damilare Adenola, said, “Six students of the Nigerian Law School have been reportedly kidnapped by suspected bandits while travelling to resume school after their court externship break.”
He named the missing students as Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel, and Obiorah David.
According to him, the abduction occurred somewhere between Wukari in Taraba State and a part of Benue State, a route notorious for insecurity and attacks on travellers.
Fresh reports on Sunday revealed that the kidnappers had contacted the victims’ relatives and colleagues to demand ₦20 million ransom per student.
One of the students, Chisom, recounted how he initially dismissed the news until he tried reaching the victims. “We heard the news this morning (Sunday) that some of our classmates were abducted. I didn’t want to believe it, so I started making a few calls because I know all of them. I tried to call three of the victims, but their numbers were switched off.”
“When I tried one of them again, he picked up the call. There was noise in the background, but when he finally spoke, he screamed that he had been kidnapped and told a colleague to send ₦20 million for his release,” he added.
Chisom also said another classmate in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, confirmed the incident, revealing that the wife of one of the victims had informed him earlier in the week. “That was when we confirmed that the kidnapping happened in Benue State,” he noted.
A student leader at the Yola campus, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation, said the case had been reported to the police. “We are currently in Yola. We have contacted the Adamawa State Police Command. We are just waiting for more updates from them. We haven’t got any concrete information yet,” the source said.
When contacted on Sunday, Yahaya Suleiman, spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, confirmed awareness of the case but clarified that the incident happened outside the state’s jurisdiction. “The abduction did not occur inside Adamawa State. I will encourage you to contact the Benue State Police Command for more details,” he said.
Suleiman, however, assured that efforts were ongoing to ensure the students’ rescue. “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. The command is collaborating with officers and men of the Benue State Police Command to ensure these students are rescued,” he stated.
Attempts to reach Anene Catherine, spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, were unsuccessful as of press time.
This is not the first time Nigerian Law School students have been targeted by kidnappers. In 2022, two students were abducted near the Agbani campus in Enugu State after visiting the local market.