Gunmen abduct ‘four’ Benue varsity students

Gunmen have abducted some female students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in Makurdi, Benue state.

The students, reportedly numbering up to four, were abducted on Tuesday evening at the university’s North Core campus.

The students were said to have been headed for “night class”, a practice of late-night studying in Nigerian campuses.

The gunmen were said to have invaded the hotel area of the campus before abducting the four students.

Some moments after the incident, operatives of the Nigerian army arrived at the school.

Sewuese Anene, Benue police spokesperson, told TheCable on Wednesday that a report received by the police indicated that only two students were kidnapped during the incident.

Anene added that the police have launched an investigation into the matter.

The Markurdi incident is the latest in a series of abductions targeted at Nigeria’s tertiary school students in recent years.

In August 2024, at least 20 medical and dental students were kidnapped in Benue State while travelling to a convention in Enugu.

In September 2023, gunmen abducted approximately 20 students from a university in Zamfara state.

At Greenfield University in Kaduna State, at least 20 students and two staff members were kidnapped in April 2021.

Tragically, five students were killed during captivity before the remaining hostages were released after a month.