Twenty medical students from Nigeria, who were kidnapped en route to a conference, have been released after being held for over a week. The abduction occurred on August 15 in Benue State, where the students were taken by gunmen who initially demanded a ransom.
On Saturday, Nigerian authorities confirmed that the students, from the University of Maiduguri and University of Jos, were freed on Friday. The release was achieved without any ransom, with the operation described as executed “tactically and professionally.”
A specialized tactical unit had been deployed to Benue State in response to the increasing number of abductions in the country.
The students, who were traveling in a convoy of two buses near Otukpo, less than 150 kilometers from Enugu, were reported to be in good condition and had been contacted by phone following their release.
In northern Nigeria, armed gangs have been targeting villagers, students, and motorists for ransom, with security forces struggling to halt the trend. Each year, thousands are abducted for ransom in Nigeria, but precise statistics are scarce due to many cases going unreported.
The surge in kidnappings is attributed to a severe economic crisis driving more individuals toward criminal activities.
According to Nigerian consultancy SBM Intelligence, there were 4,777 reported kidnappings from May 2023, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office, to January 2024.
