UNN female student kidnapped, demand N5.5m ransom

Chukwuemeka Philomina Ekpereamaka, a first-year student of Education English at University of Nigeria Nsuka (UNN), has been abducted and reported missing.

The university had just confirmed the tragic death of Favour Okenyi, a first-year Medical Laboratory Science student, whose body was found in a drainage near Akanu Ibiam Stadium, when this incident occurred exactly one week later.

The student was abducted on Sunday, July 14, 2024, at approximately 12 pm, at Balewa Hostel, which is situated within the university campus.

Reports indicate that Ekpereamaka had told her hostel mates she was going to meet her boyfriend downstairs, but she was later discovered missing from the campus.

It was learned that in the early hours of Monday, July 15, 2024, the abductors established contact with Ekpereamaka’s roommate, Chioma Ogbonna.

They were said to have demanded a ransom of N5.5 million for her release.

An anonymous university official confirmed to our correspondent that the management is evaluating the situation and will release a statement by Tuesday evening.

However, he refuted the claim that the student was taken from within the university premises.

According to him, “The reports we’re hearing suggest that she went to meet her boyfriend, who took her out of the university.

“I guess it was where they went to that she might have been abducted. But definitely not inside the university because our university is not porous in terms of security.

“But, the truth of the matter is that the management is looking into the situation and would make their position public through the university public relations unit.”