Gunmen suspected to be bandits on Thursday night invaded the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Okene in Kogi, and abducted some students.
A witness reported that the bandits attacked the university around 9:00 p.m. while students were studying for their upcoming exams.
The hoodlums reportedly entered through the bush, entered three lecture halls, and began firing shots into the air to intimidate the students.
“They trapped the students inside the halls and started taking them; the school was thrown into total confusion as fear-stricken students in other halls scurried to safety, scampering in various directions.
“By the time local security guards and the conventional security men at the gate engaged the bandits, they had already succeeded in abducting some students.
“But the efforts minimised the damage as the attackers didn’t go beyond the first three halls,” the source said.
The source said the students were getting ready for their first semester examination, set to begin on Monday, May 13, when the bandits attacked. A student, speaking anonymously, mentioned that he and some classmates fled to the bush, where they hid for “over an hour.”
“We only ventured out when everywhere became quiet,” he said.
CUSTEC Vice-Chancellor Abdulraman Asipita confirmed the incident but declined to disclose the number of students abducted.
“I don’t talk to journalists on incidents like this, but I want you to know that we are on top of the situation,” he said.
The Police Commissioner in Kogi, Mr. Bertrand Onuoha, did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Also, Kogi’s Security Adviser, Jerry Omolaira, could not be reached immediately for comment.
A student who craved anonymity , mentioned that he and some colleagues hid in the bush for “more than an hour.”
