JUST-IN: Abducted Benue Varsity Students Regain Freedom

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed the release of three female students abducted from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi.

The students were kidnapped on February 25, 2025, while returning from a night study session on campus, which raised serious concerns about the safety and security within the institution.

Their release was confirmed on Thursday through a news flash shared by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on X.

In response to the abduction, the university management had declared a one-week mid-semester break to address security concerns on campus. This was communicated in an internal memo titled “Security Situation on Campus”, issued a day after the incident and signed by the Registrar, Dr. John David.

The abduction also prompted strong reactions from the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, both of whom called for intensified efforts to ensure the students’ safe return.

Although the specifics of the students’ release remain unclear, their freedom comes amidst rising concerns over student safety and growing insecurity in Nigeria’s higher institutions.