The 20 medical students abducted on August 15 in the Otukpo area of Benue State have regained their freedom.
As reported by FIJ, after eight days in captivity, the students were released thanks to coordinated efforts by security agencies, including the police, DSS, and the military.
A member of the rescue team informed FIJ on Saturday morning that “the rescue operation was successful yesterday.”
However, FIJ has not yet determined whether the students were rescued by force or if a ransom was paid for their release.
The abduction, which involved students from the University of Jos and the University of Maiduguri, sparked widespread concern across the country.
The students were on their way to Enugu State for the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) when they were kidnapped.
FIJ learned that some of the students were allowed to share their locations with family and friends, with the kidnappers demanding a ransom of N50 million.
The captors had threatened to start killing the students if the ransom was not paid by last Saturday.
Further investigation by FIJ revealed that at least six other abductions have occurred in the same Benue location over the past eight months.
All of these incidents took place on Thursdays along the Enugu-Benue highway.
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