On Thursday night, May 9, bandits raided the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTEC) in Osara, Okene, Kogi State, abducting nine students.
The school is said to be getting ready for upcoming examinations.
The incident happened around 9:00 pm. The bandits reportedly arrived through the bush and entered three lecture halls, firing indiscriminately into the air to cow the students. While some quickly escaped, others trapped and surrounded by the bandits, were filed out and taken away.
During the attack, distressed students took to social media to seek help. Some videos online show chaotic scenes with chairs scattered in the classrooms, and abandoned pairs of slippers littering the floor; evidence of fleeing students from the danger.
Eyewitness Report
One student lucky enough to have escaped recounted hiding in the bush with colleagues for over an hour until it was safe to return. She wondered what might happen to those caught by the attackers.
Another eyewitness student said she saw local security guards return fire against the bandits. “We started scampering for safety and it appeared that the gunshots were coming from Class LR3, where some students were also reading,” she said.
“I did not know where to run to. When I peeped through the window, I saw our security guard returning fire.
“This morning, we cannot find some of our course mates. Their phone lines are not reachable. We even saw someone’s phone on the floor. We don’t know the number of students that have been kidnapped,” the student said.
She said some students who managed to escape and later returned, reported that the gunmen were shooting at them as they fled.
No formal statement has been made by the school authorities or Nigerian Police.
Kidnap-for-ransom incidents are increasing in Nigeria, especially in the north, with a governor describing it as a “growing industry.” The rising abduction of students from universities in the region is worrisome, as it could lead to a loss of morale and trust among young people. This could aggravates Nigeria’s education crisis particularly in northern Nigeria, if not nipped in the bud.
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