The Police Command in Benue has confirmed the kidnapping of two female students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi on the night of Saturday, May 25.
The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Sewuese Anene, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Wednesday.
NAN reports that JS Tarka University is a federal university named after the late minority rights activist, Sen. Joseph Tarka, by the Buhari administration.
Anene said the incident took place on Saturday night at about 11: pm along North Bank/Uniagric Road, not within the university campus.
According to her, the unknown gunmen blocked the road, attacked and took the victims before the security operatives could arrive at the incident.
“It was in the night when some armed men came out, attacked and took them away before the arrival of the police.”
She said the attackers took the car and all the occupants away.
Anene said both the family and the university have notified the command, and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
NAN investigation revealed that one of the students was in the department of biology education, while details of the other one were not yet available.
However, a reliable source from the university told NAN that a man drove into the campus on Saturday, picked up the students and while driving into the North Bank town, picked up another lady before they were attacked.
The source further said that he initially thought it was an armed robbery until the kidnappers contacted the family of the students.
All efforts to speak to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Itodo and the information unit of the university proved abortive as they did not answer calls nor reply text messages sent to them
