LIVE UPDATES
The Kogi State Government, on Wednesday disclosed that six of the kidnapped students of the Confluence State University of Science and Technology in Lokoja, have regained freedom but severely injured.
The latest rescue brings to 20, the number of kidnapped students so far rescued from kidnappers.
The gun-wielding kidnappers had on the night of last Thursday, May 9, invaded the Osara campus of the institution and abducted a yet-to-be-ascertained number of students.
The students were said to be attending a tutorial class in preparation for their first semester examination when the terrorists swooped on them.
The police spokesman, William Aya, said the 14 students were rescued after a gun duel with the kidnappers.
The Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, also, in a statement, said the students were “rescued safely by local hunters and other security agents, hours after the executive Governor of the state, His Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, visited the institution to assure parents of his commitment to rescuing the students.”
Giving an update, the commissioner, in a statement, said an additional six students had been rescued.
Fanwo said the families of the students had confirmed their safe return home.
He said, “The Kogi State government wishes to announce the rescue of six more students, bringing the number of kidnapped students rescued to 20. Our data show that there are four students yet to be found.
“The fierce gun battle between security agents and the kidnappers forced the kidnappers to succumb to superior firepower and abandon the kidnapped students. Some of the kidnappers escaped with severe injuries.
He quoted Governor Usman Ododo as expressing deep appreciation to the Joint Forces that carried out the rescue operations, urging them to continue the search until the last student was found.
