·Two kidnappers nabbed

A combined team of police and vigilante group have rescued four lecturers and 11 students of the Geology Department of the University of Benin from the claws of suspected kidnappers in Igarra headquarters of Akiko Edo Council Area of Edo State.

Both lecturers and students were kidnapped while on field work within the area.

They were said to have boarded an 18-seater bus and were along Ihievbe-Ago axis in Owan East Local Government Area when gunmen swooped upon them.

They were subsequently marched into the forest by the kidnappers.

It was learnt that the driver of the bus and two students later escaped and alerted the vigilante group who were on patrol along the Igarra-Auchi Road.

The security outfit in collaboration with the police then mobilized and gave the kidnappers a hot chase which led to exchange of gun fire.

Two of the suspected kidnappers were later arrested.

The suspected kidnappers were said to have abandoned their victims and ran away.

Chairman Opoze Age Group in Igarra who is also head of the vigilante group, Ibukun Dogo said: “The driver of the 18-seater bus and two of the students escaped when the kidnappers rounded them up at gun point. They ran back to the highway where our vigilante group were patrolling and broke the news to them.

“The men contacted me and briefed me on phone and I ordered that they should go after them while I quickly informed the police for back up. While my men were pursuing the kidnappers, they were shooting and so my men were retuning fire but we ran out of ammunition but we were able to apprehend two of the kidnappers and they were taken to the police station,” he said.

Artistree:
I'm on campus and no news like that was circulated.

Eagleboney:
Hmmm
why are they wasting time ,for amotekun to start operation ,is it when the herdsmen have wreaked havoc and gone that they will come out to start making noise,

they no that they can't do that in south east

Ebenezer2021:
I guess Nimbo community in Enugu that was raided by 3pm and scores killed is located in South West

Artistree:
I'm on campus and no news like that was circulated.

Ebenezer2021:
uniben sef isn't in session so that trip is an illegal or perhaps an audio (non existent) one

edoairways:

Punch Newspapers
Lecturers, students abduction threat to education – ASUU
Published

Sola Shittu, Benin



The Academic Staff Union of Universities of the University of Benin on Thursday said the abduction of four lecturers and eleven students of the institution has the capacity to cripple the entire education system which is already traumatised.

It also said it was a sign that the nation’s security apparatus had failed.

ASUU in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Prof. Monday Omoregie, and the secretary, Dr. Fabian Amaechina, called on security agencies to warm up to the responsibility of securing Nigerians because national development is impossible without security.

It said the unseriousness with which the security apparatus is treating matters of national security is distressing and such must not be allowed to continue.

“It is a virus that needs to be exterminated because of the negative multiplier effect it can have on education and the larger development of the nation. If researches and field works cannot go on because of the challenge of insecurity, then the educational sector and the whole concept of national development will be on borrowed time,” said ASUU.

The union stated further that apart from having the negative potential of lowering the quality of manpower produced by the universities, “the larger picture is that it has the capacity the crippling the entire educational system. The larger consequences will be utterly grievous”.

The union, however, recognised the role played by Ikpesi community, which helped in the rescue of the abducted students and their lecturers.

“We salute the community’s courage and patriotism and recommend their action to other besieged communities. Their reaction only proves that we are stronger together. Perhaps, but for their role and support, it would have been a tale of woes,” it said.