Six students of the Nigerian Law School have been kidnapped while on their way from Onitsha, Anambra State, to the Yola campus in Adamawa State, with the abductors now demanding N20 million for each of the victims.
According to information obtained from credible sources, the abduction took place in Benue State on Saturday, while the students were on their way back to campus to resume academic activities after their court externship break. The institution was expected to reopen on Monday.
A student at the Yola campus, Damilare Adenola, confirmed the incident in a phone conversation on Sunday. He said, “Six students of the Nigerian Law School have been reportedly kidnapped by suspected bandits while travelling to resume school after their court externship break.”
Adenola identified the missing students as Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel, and Obiorah David. He also mentioned that the abduction likely took place along the stretch between Wukari in Taraba State and a section of Benue State — a route often plagued by insecurity and attacks on commuters.
Later on Sunday evening, sources from the Yola campus disclosed that the kidnappers had contacted the families and classmates of the abducted students, demanding N20 million for each individual.
One of the students, Chisom, shared his disbelief when the news first broke. He said, “We heard the news this morning (Sunday) that some of our classmates were abducted. I didn’t want to believe it, so I started making a few calls because I know all of them. I tried to call three of the victims, but their numbers were switched off.”
Chisom continued, “When I tried one of them again, he picked up the call. There was noise in the background, but when he finally spoke, he screamed that he had been kidnapped and told a colleague to send N20m for his release.”
He further recounted a conversation with another classmate in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. “He told me he’d been aware of the abduction since Thursday. According to him, the wife of one of the victims reached out to inform him about it. That was when we confirmed that the kidnapping happened in Benue State,” he added.
A student leader on the Yola campus, who asked not to be named due to the sensitive nature of the case, said, “We are currently in Yola. We have contacted the Adamawa State Police Command. We are just waiting for more updates from them. We haven’t got any concrete information yet.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, Yahaya Suleiman, confirmed knowledge of the incident but clarified that it occurred outside their jurisdiction. “The abduction did not occur inside Adamawa State. I will encourage you to contact the Benue State Police Command for more details,” he said.
He assured that police in both states were working together on the issue. “We cooperate not only with the police in other states but also with other sister agencies to ensure that those coming into Adamawa are safe, without harassment or intimidation.”
“The command is collaborating with officers and men of the Benue State Police Command to ensure these students are rescued,” Suleiman added.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Anene Catherine, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered as of press time.
This incident adds to a troubling pattern. In 2022, two students of the Nigerian Law School Agbani campus in Enugu were abducted after visiting the local market.
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