OKENE, Nigeria – On the night of Thursday, May 9, 2024, bandits invaded the Confluence University of Science and Technology, CUSTEC, in Osara, Okene, Kogi State, abducting several students who were preparing for their examinations.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attack occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m., a time when students were engaged in study sessions for their upcoming first semester exams, scheduled to begin on Monday, May 13.
The bandits reportedly accessed the university premises through surrounding bush areas and targeted three lecture halls.
An eyewitness described the harrowing scene: “They came shooting into the air, trapping students inside the halls before abducting them.”
The sudden attack plunged the campus into chaos, with many students fleeing in panic to other buildings or into the bush for safety.
Local security guards and conventional security personnel stationed at the university gates responded to the incursion.
“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 minimized the damage as the attackers didn’t go beyond the first three halls,” the source added.
One student, who asked to remain anonymous, recounted the terrifying ordeal, stating that he and some classmates hid in the bush for over an hour, only returning to safety after the situation had calmed.
Prof. Abdulraman Asipita, Vice Chancellor of CUSTEC, confirmed the incident but declined to specify 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 stated.
Attempts to reach Kogi’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, and State Security Adviser, Retired Commodore Jerry Omodara, for comments were unsuccessful.
The university community remains in shock as authorities continue to investigate the incident and search for the abducted students.
