Gunmen have abducted a yet to be determined number of students of the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU).
The incident happened Wednesday, May 5, 2021 along Okigwe-Uturu Road, in Imo State, Nigeria between 7:00pm and 8:00pm.
The students, alongside other kidnap victims, were marched into the forest by the gang of hoodlums while two of the students escaped to tell the tale of horror.
Commissioner for Information of Abia State, Chief John Okiyi Kalu, who confirmed the incident, assured that the Imo and Abia State governments are working with relevant security agencies to in both states to ensure the rescue of the abducted students and others.
Full text of Chief John Okiyi Kalu’s statement:
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.
We are working with the government of Imo State and relevant security agencies in both states to ensure the rescue of the abducted students and others.
Members of the public and ABSU community are advised to remain calm as we will 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
Thank you.
Chief John Okiyi Kalu
Honorable Commissioner for Information, Abia State
06/05/2021
