By Augustine Kuza, Lafia
Unidentified gunmen have abducted three students of the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) from their off-campus hostel in Nasarawa State, with police successfully rescuing one of the victims.
The Nasarawa State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement posted on X on Wednesday.
According to the police, the students were kidnapped from their residence along Awe Road, near the university’s temporary campus in Akunza, Lafia.
The command’s spokesperson, Ramhan Nansel, said the incident was reported on Tuesday night after the university’s Chief Security Officer (CSO) alerted the police.
Nansel explained that the attackers forcefully gained entry into the students’ apartment by breaking down the door before abducting the occupants.
Following the report, the Commissioner of Police, Shetima Jauro Mohammed, directed the immediate deployment of tactical teams and patrol operatives to the area to begin a rescue operation.
The police said a coordinated search of the surrounding forest led to the rescue of one of the abducted students, while efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the remaining two victims.
“Efforts have since been intensified to ensure the safe rescue of the remaining two victims still in captivity and the arrest of the perpetrators,” the statement said.
Nansel added that the commissioner had ordered all operational and intelligence units of the command to sustain the rescue mission until the remaining students are freed unharmed.
Mohammed also reassured residents that the police are committed to apprehending those responsible for the attack and bringing them to justice.
He appealed to members of the public to remain calm, stay vigilant, and assist security agencies with credible and timely information that could aid the ongoing operation.
