ABDUCTED MEDICAL STUDENTS REGIANS FREEDOM

Nine days after it was announced that 20 catholic Medical and Dental students were abducted, the victims regain freedom. 

The victims, who are students of the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos, and enroute for their annual FECAMDS convention in Enugu, were reportedly abducted along Otukpo road in Benue state around 5:30pm in the evening of 16th August, 2024. 

Fortunately, on 23rd August, 2024, the Benue state police command, confirmed their release. In a statement by the police force Public Relations officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the police, DSS and military personnel; were involved in the operation coordinated by the office of the national security advisor and supported by the Benue state government. The force PRO, explained that contrary to some tweets and unconfirmed stories that some money was paid, no ransom was paid to release the students. He also commended security agencies and locals for their commitment and resilience to the rescue operation.

He stated further that the students were rescued from a local forest. He also emphasized that the rescue was tactically carried out by security agencies with the help of local communities and the office of the national security adviser.

In a conversation conducted on the News Central TV, Inko-Tariah Ipalibo, a security analyst expert, shared his thoughts on the swift action of Nigerian security agencies in the abduction case. According to him, the rescue of all the victims which was done without any amount paid to the kidnappers after they demanded the sum of 50million naira, displays a commendable effort on the security agencies part. He stated also that when looked at professionally, the kidnap rescue story which was said to have been ranson-free seems a little too good to be true especially with the report that the victims were rescued completely and with no casualties recorded. 

The rescue was reportedly carried out in the base of the kidnap, however, there was no record of any gun battle with the kidnappers nor was there any record of the arrest of the kidnappers. For him as well, the kidnaping was not about the victims being medical students but rather about the insecurity in Nigeria – it is simply not peculiar to medical students.

He mentioned the importance of securing Nigeria as a comprehensive task that should be distributed to professionals both in and outside the country, those who would be able to provide solutions because depending on government agencies alone may be detrimental with their inadequate numbers and sometimes unyielding approach and strategy in cases like this. 

In the light of choosing between roadblocks and state policing as the safer way of securing Nigerian citizens, he supports the idea of state policing. State policing for him is much better because each state governors understand their states better and so if allowed to control the state police within their state, not only in receiving general security trainings, but also in trainings that focus on the terrain they are serving, security would be a lot better. In other words, in order to put an end to recurring security crimes in Nigeria. State policing is the way out.

To conclude, he advised various states and local communities to take the bull by the horn, and come up with their own security architecture with their indigenes actively involved, these include local chiefs, community heads and traditional rulers as well as local youths and vigilantes who can mount surveillance within their territory.