NANS and ActionAid Nigeria Demand Swift Action Over Abduction of Female Students in Benue State
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has urged the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure the immediate rescue of four female students abducted from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State.
In a statement issued yesterday, NANS’ National Public Relations Officer, Samson Adeyemi, revealed that the students were kidnapped on Tuesday night by unidentified armed men, who intercepted them around 8:30 p.m. while they were heading to a lecture hall. The victims were taken to an unknown location, sparking outrage among students, who have demanded swift intervention by authorities. Adeyemi described the incident as barbaric and criticized it as a failure of the nation’s security system.
Similarly, ActionAid Nigeria has condemned the kidnapping and called on the government to tackle the growing insecurity affecting schools. The organization’s Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, noted that this incident underscores the deepening security challenges in Nigeria, making schools, homes, roads, and communities increasingly unsafe.
Mamedu also highlighted past cases of mass abductions, such as the Chibok and Dapchi kidnappings and the 2024 abduction of over 200 students in Kuriga, Kaduna State. He lamented the ongoing danger faced by students, emphasizing that education should not come at the cost of their lives. Mamedu questioned, “If schools are no longer safe, where can young Nigerians feel secure?”
