Twenty Nigerian medical students, abducted while en route to a conference, have been released after more than a week in captivity, according to police.
The students, from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos, were seized by gunmen on August 15 while traveling to Benue State. A ransom demand followed, but police confirmed that no payment was made.
Nigerian police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said they were rescued from Ntunkon forest in Benue State where they were all held hostage.
“Contrary to some tweets and unconfirmed stories that some money was paid, no kobo was paid to release them,” said Adejobi. The rescue operation was described as “tactical and professional.”
The abduction happened near Otukpo, less than 93 miles from Enugu and 63 miles Southeast of Makurdi, the Benue State Capital, an area prone to attacks and kidnappings. Nigeria faces a rising wave of abductions, with thousands taken for ransom annually.
The country’s economic crisis has contributed to the surge in kidnappings, with 4,777 cases recorded between May 2023 and January 2024, according to SBM Intelligence.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
