Nigerian Security Forces Rescue Kidnapped University Students

Nigerian security forces have successfully rescued students who were abducted from a university in northern Kogi state, along with other victims held by the abductors, according to announcements made by the army and state government on Sunday, May 12, 2024.

Kogi’s Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, stated that security forces engaged in a shootout with the armed gang responsible for the abduction at Confluence University of Science and Technology, which occurred on Thursday, May 9 2024.

In response to the situation, the state authorities mobilized local hunters familiar with the terrain of Kogi, resulting in an exchange of gunfire during the rescue operation. Regrettably, a security agent and a hunter sustained injuries during the operation.

In a separate statement, the Nigerian army confirmed the involvement of troops, alongside other security agencies and local vigilantes, in what was described as “a fierce firefight” with the kidnappers.

As a result of the operation, the superior firepower of the troops compelled the kidnappers to abandon nine of the abducted students, who were subsequently rescued from captivity.