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The Kogi State Government has announced the rescue of some students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTEC) in Osara, Okene, who were kidnapped by gunmen last Thursday.
The number of rescued students remains unclear, but the government attributed their successful rescue to the "dominant show of firepower" by security operatives and local vigilante men against the kidnappers.
In a statement released on Sunday, State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said, "This is to inform the general public that some of the students abducted by gunmen at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, have been rescued safely by local hunters and other security agents."
According to the statement, local vigilante men and security agents engaged the kidnappers in a fierce shootout, forcing them to flee with gunshot wounds. The kidnapped students also scattered in different directions to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
"Many of the students kidnapped and even other people in captivity have been rescued and taken to medical facilities for proper attention, while many others were also rescued in the early hours of today," Fanwo added.
The statement assured that security agents are actively searching the forests to rescue the remaining students still held captive.
The students were abducted on Thursday night while studying for their upcoming exams. The gunmen reportedly entered the university through the bush, stormed three lecture halls, and fired shots into the air to scare the students.
Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo had previously assured the safe return of the abducted students and confirmed that "nine students" were reported missing.
He also alleged the involvement of an insider in the abduction, citing the deactivation of CCTV cameras on the university campus during the attack.
