The Nigerian Medical Association says students from the universities of Jos and Maiduguri were kidnapped while travelling in Benue state.
Nigerian police and security agencies are working to secure the release of 20 medical students kidnapped in the eastern part of the country, officials say.
The medical students were abducted in Benue state on Thursday evening while they were on their way to attend an annual conference, police and university sources said on Saturday.
The Catholic Medical and Dental Students Union said in a statement that the students were abducted while they were on their way to attend a conference in the city of Enugu.
Fortune Olaye, secretary general of the Nigerian Medical Students Union, said 20 medical students from two universities and a doctor travelling with them had been kidnapped.
It also said that a ransom was demanded in exchange for his release.
In a Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) letter to the Inspector General of Police posted on social media platform X, Benjamin Agbo, the General Secretary of the NMA, said 12 of the abducted students were from the University of Jos and eight were from the University of Maiduguri.
The letter said one of the students shared their location, which showed they were in the Oglewu Ehaje area of Benue State.
It added that, “The Nigerian Medical Association is deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of these future medical professionals,” adding that swift and decisive action is “critical” to ensure their return.
We will not rest until our beloved students are rescued alive.@Fmohnigeria @nigeducation @policeng @OfficialDSSNG @ngrpresident
#FreeThe20MedStudents pic.twitter.com/iYvWtdVneC
— Nigerian Medical Association (@nationalnma) August 17, 2024
The Police Public Relations Officer in Benue State, Catherine Enene, also confirmed the abduction.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia said in a statement that he has directed security agencies in the state to intensify efforts and ensure the safe release of the students.
The National Police said in a statement that it had ordered “the deployment of advanced helicopters and drones, as well as the use of special tactical vehicles to facilitate the search and ensure the safe return of the victims.”
The kidnapped students were reportedly travelling from the northern part of the country in a convoy of two buses when the incident occurred, Nigeria’s This Day newspaper reported.
The students were abducted on a road near the town of Otukpo, less than 150 km (93 miles) from Enugu, where attacks and kidnappings are frequent.
The severe economic crisis in Nigeria has led to a significant increase in kidnapping cases, causing people to turn to crime. However, official statistics are unreliable as many cases go unreported.
In 2022, a law was passed banning payments to kidnappers – but many families say they feel they have no choice but to pay the demanded ransom.
Nigerian consultancy firm SBM Intelligence said it had recorded 4,777 cases from the time Bola Tinubu assumed the presidency in May 2023 to January 2024.
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