Gunmen storm Nasarawa varsity, abduct six students

The Nasarawa State police Command says it has intensified efforts to rescue six students the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, abducted by gunmen in Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Rahman Nansel,  made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday in Lafia.

Mr Nansel said that the students were abducted on May 6 at about 9:00 p.m. when unidentified armed hoodlums invaded a students’ off-campus lodge at Anguwar Ninzo, Gudi, on the outskirts of the town.

According to him, six of the victims have so far been identified as students of the Faculty of Engineering, Gudi Campus of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, while another victim was said to be a visitor at the lodge at the time of the incident.

The police spokesman said the state Commissioner of Police, Shetima Mohammed, visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

He said the commissioner reassured students, residents and the university community of the command’s commitment to ensuring the safe rescue of the abducted victims.

Mr Nansel said the commissioner also redeployed the Area Commander in Akwanga to coordinate field operations pending the rescue of the victims.

He added that a combined security team comprising personnel of the police, the State Security Service (SSS), the military, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), vigilance groups and other tactical units had been deployed to intensify rescue operations.

“The operation is aimed at tracking down the abductors, rescuing the victims unhurt and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” he said.

The spokesman urged members of the public to remain calm, vigilant and security conscious, while appealing to anyone with useful information to report to the nearest police station or other security agencies.

He added that further updates would be communicated as investigations and rescue operations progressed.

(NAN)