Breaking: Kidnapped varsity students regain freedom

Three female students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture (JOSTUM), formerly known as the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), have regained their freedom after spending one week in captivity.

The students were abducted on February 25, 2025, while returning from a night study session on campus. Their release comes as a relief to the university community and their families, though details surrounding their rescue remain undisclosed.

Authorities are yet to confirm whether a ransom was paid or if security agencies were involved in their release.

Shedrach Elum, spokesperson for the JOSTUM Students’ Union, confirmed the students’ return, saying, “I have been reliably informed that [they] are back safely.” In a video seen by HumAngle, one of the freed students said, “We survived…I am back. I am truamatised.”

A news flash shared by the Nigerian Television Authority on X on Thursday also confirmed the development, saying the students were rescued by the police.

Following their abduction, the university management ordered a one-week mid-semester break to address security challenges.

This was detailed in an internal memo titled “Security Situation on Campus”, issued a day after the abduction and signed by the Registrar, Dr John David.

The National Association of Nigerian Students and the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, had called for intensified efforts to secure their release.

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