The National Association of Nigerian Students has called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to take swift action in securing the release of the female students abducted from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State.
In a statement sent to The PUNCH on Thursday, NANS National Public Relations Officer, Samson Adeyemi, condemned the attack, describing it as a glaring security failure.
The students, all from the engineering department, were reportedly kidnapped on campus while returning from a night reading session.
Sources within the institution disclosed that armed men emerged from a nearby bush and seized them.
While the university administration confirmed the abduction of three students, the student body insisted that four individuals were taken.
In response to the incident, the school authorities ordered an immediate closure of the institution.
Adeyemi, in his statement, decried the abduction as a direct assault on the safety of Nigerian students.
“It is sad to hear that the students were kidnapped on the university’s campus. This shows that our campuses are no longer safe and it is a dent in the security architecture of this country. How the kidnapping occurred is barbaric,” he said.
He further emphasized the need for Nigerian campuses to remain secure, urging the police chief to prioritize the safe return of the victims.
“Higher institutions are supposed to be safe and secure for learning and the right of every student be protected.
“The leadership of the National Association of Nigeria Students is appealing to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately deploy resources to rescue the abducted students,” Adeyemi added.
He also reassured students of the institution that efforts were in motion to facilitate their peers’ rescue.
“I am appealing to the students to remain calm. The NANS Headquarters will liaise with necessary quarters to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, angered by the incident, students of the university staged a demonstration on Wednesday, demanding urgent action.
Videos and photos obtained by The PUNCH showed protesters marching across the campus, holding placards with messages such as “BringBackOurGirls”, while chanting solidarity songs.
