Gunmen have kidnapped nine university students in central Nigeria’s Kogi State.
Reports indicate that the assailants targeted the Confluence University of Science and Technology late on Thursday night.
They stormed into classrooms while students were studying for upcoming exams, firing shots into the air before rounding up a group of students and abducting them.
Although the Kogi state government confirmed nine abductees, concerns linger that the actual number could be higher.
Authorities have mobilized security forces to conduct a search and rescue operation for the abducted students.
“Hundreds of local hunters who understand the terrain as well as the conventional security agents are currently combing the area to ensure safe rescue of the abducted students who were kidnapped in the classrooms,” a statement said.
Nigeria has experienced a rise in kidnappings – hundreds of people, including children, have been abducted in recent months.
Some families said they were made to pay ransoms running into thousands of dollars before their loved ones were freed.