In a swift response to the abduction of students at Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene in Kogi State, the state government has confirmed the successful rescue of several students.
According to Kingsley Fanwo, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communication, a team comprising local hunters and security agents executed the rescue operation, resulting in the safe retrieval of an undisclosed number of students.
SP Williams Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, confirmed that 14 students were among those rescued.
The operation, marked by a fierce shootout with the kidnappers, saw the assailants overpowered by superior firepower, prompting them to flee the scene with gunshot wounds. As a result, the abducted students managed to escape, seeking safety in different directions.
The rescued students, along with other victims of kidnapping, are currently receiving medical attention at a designated medical facility. Security forces continue to comb the forests in efforts to locate and rescue any remaining students still in captivity.
Despite casualties sustained during the operation, including injuries to a local hunter and a DSS operative, authorities commend the bravery and gallantry displayed by the rescue team.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo reaffirmed the state’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of its citizens, vowing to maintain a hostile environment for criminal elements.
The Confluence University abduction occurred on Friday as students gathered for study sessions ahead of upcoming examinations. Gunmen stormed the classrooms, firing indiscriminately and abducting an unspecified number of students. Earlier reports suggested nine students were missing.
Residents are urged to report individuals with gunshot wounds in their communities to law enforcement agencies, as efforts to apprehend the fleeing kidnappers intensify.
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