The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the kidnap of more than 20 medical and dental students, alongside a house officer, by gunmen in the state.
The students were travelling to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) annual convention in Enugu when they were ambushed around 5:30 pm in the Otukpo area.
The victims are reportedly from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Catherine Anene, confirmed the abduction to NewsNGR and stated that an investigation is underway.
“Yes, the report of the kidnapping is true. It was received between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., and an investigation is ongoing,” she told our correspondent.
No official demand for ransom or conditions for their release has been made at this time.
Kidnapping has been increasingly common in Benue and other parts of Nigeria, with abductions often occurring.
In May, gunmen kidnapped two female students from Joseph Sarwuan University of Agriculture in Makurdi, Benue State.
On July 13, NewsNGR reported that kidnappers abducted Dr. Emmanuel Barki, acting rector of Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, and others on their way back to Ugbokolo from an official trip to Makurdi.