By Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
A 300-level Mass Communication student of the Kwara State University, KWASU, has been kidnapped.
Sources said the the student, who had been kidnapped since Sunday was abducted by unsuspected kidnappers at about 9 pm while discussing with a fellow student outside her off- campus hostel in the community.
The kidnapped student, whose name was given as Khadijat Isiaq, was “whisked away by some persons in a vehicle, while walking with a friend around 9pm in one of the off campus hostels.”
A source in the university, who preferred anonymity, said that the kidnappers had meanwhile contacted the university authorities, demanding for a ransom of N50 million.
Reacting to the incident, the university’s Director of Public Relations, AbdulRazaq Sanni, in a statement, said that the student was abducted along Oloru Road in Malete town.
Sani said, “The school management has swiftly responded to the development and is working with the relevant security operatives to secure her release and ensure the culprits are brought to book.”
Meanwhile, Sanni said that adequate security arrangements had been put in place in and around the institution’s campus.
He said, “The Commissioner of Police, Kwara State, has deployed the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, as well as the IGP Response Team to Malete to work in collaboration with the local vigilantes and other relevant agencies, to rescue the victim.
“In view of the above, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Akanbi, SAN, wishes to advise the university community to be more security-conscious and report any strange or suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities.
“Students are also advised to desist from keeping late nights, and if they must move around, they should walk in groups and also have a means of identification at all times.
“Similarly, students are enjoined to be mindful of their environment and be very conscious of the company they keep.”
Sani added that the
Vice Chancellor also “also enjoins students within and outside the institution to remain calm and go about their lawful activities with caution, as measures have already been put in place to safeguard the lives and properties of students and staff.”
The Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, SP Ajayi Okasanmi, said that efforts would be mounted to see to the rescue of the victim.
Recall that there had been cases of abduction/kidnapping of late in Kwara State, with the pronounced kidnap of an engineer, Ayodele Alabi, with six others around Omu Aran in Irepodun Local Government Area of the state.
Alabi, who was a diabetics patient, later died shortly after his release by the captors, who had subjected him to gory tortures, including removing nails from his toes to press for the sum of N30 million they were demanding as ransom from his relations.
Also, a farmer in the same Omu Aran was kidnapped in his farm, few days after the release and death of Engineer Alabi, while another set of 20 passengers travelling in a bus around the same time were also kidnapped.
They, however, had since regained their freedom from captivity, courtesy of a reported swift efforts of the state Police Command.
