BY NGOZI OKORIE
GUNMEN, on Wednesday night, reportedly abducted a yet-to-be-acsertained number of students of the Abia State University Uturu, on their way from Okigwe back to Uturu.
The unidentified gang of hoodlums operating along the Okigwe-Uturu Road, were said to have perpetrated the act at about 8:00pm.
Two of the students in the van managed to escape.
The Abia State Government, which confirmed the abduction, noted that efforts were on to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped students.
Commissioner for Information in the state, John Okiyi Kalu, also disclosed that Abia State Government was collaborating with neighbouring Imo State to rescue the students.
He said, “Abia State Government is currently monitoring an incident that happened in Okigwe, Imo State, yesterday which led to the suspected abduction of yet to be determined number of students of the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU), who apparently ran into a yet to be identified gang of hoodlums operating along the Okigwe-Uturu Road.
“Preliminary information available to us indicates that the students were moving in a mini van from Okigwe to Uturu between 7pm – 8pm when they ran into the armed gang who marched them into the nearby forest along with other yet to be identified travelers. Two of the students managed to escape from the hoodlums while others are still being held at a yet to be identified location.”
Members of the public and ABSU community were advised to remain calm as the Government would spare no resource in ensuring the safety of the victims.
“No criminal operating within our environment will be allowed to escape justice as we take the job of protecting lives and property of Abians and visitors to the State very seriously,” the Commissioner stated.
