Six Nigerian Law School students have been kidnapped by suspected gunmen in Benue State while traveling from Onitsha to the Yola campus in Adamawa State. The students were on their way back to school after completing a court externship break and were reportedly abducted late Saturday along the route between Wukari in Taraba State and part of Benue, an area notorious for insecurity.
According to reports, the kidnappers have demanded a ransom of N20 million for each student, totaling N120 million. The victims have been identified as Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel, and Obiorah David. A fellow student recounted receiving a distress call from one of the victims, confirming the abduction and the ransom demand.
Sources at the Yola campus of the Nigerian Law School revealed that the abductors had contacted the victims’ relatives and classmates to negotiate the ransom. One student explained how he initially dismissed the news until he called several missing classmates and heard one scream for help and mention the N20 million ransom.
The matter has been reported to the Adamawa State Police Command, although the incident did not happen within their jurisdiction. The command confirmed it is working closely with the Benue State Police and other security agencies to ensure the students’ safe release. However, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police has yet to respond to inquiries about the case.
This incident is not isolated, as there have been previous cases of law school students being kidnapped. In 2022, two students from the Agbani campus in Enugu State were abducted while shopping at a local market. The recurring attacks raise serious concerns about the safety of students traveling across volatile regions in Nigeria.
