A cohort of university students and additional individuals abducted in northern Nigeria were liberated on Sunday, officials confirmed.
Assailants raided Confluence University of Science and Technology in Kogi state late Thursday night, abducting nine students.
The captives were freed by local hunters and security personnel who engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle, according to Kogi’s information commissioner, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, who shared the update on the social media platform X.
Mr. Fanwo further mentioned that the rescued abductees had been transported to a hospital for medical care.
“Security agents are currently combing the forests to ensure all the kidnapped students are found and brought home safely,” he added.
A surge in kidnapping incidents perpetrated by criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, is being observed in Nigeria, particularly in the north-west region of the country.
Hundreds of individuals have been abducted since the beginning of the year, with many of them subsequently released, often following the payment of ransom.