Kidnappers Strike in Rivers and Imo — Students and Passengers Among Victims
Gunmen kidnapped nineteen people in coordinated attacks across Rivers and Imo states, according to details gathered from Vanguard reports. The incidents, which occurred late Tuesday and into the early hours of Wednesday, have triggered renewed concern about rising insecurity along major routes and around university communities. In Rivers State, five students of Rivers State University were taken from their off campus lodge in the Emohua area. It was reported that the attackers arrived around two in the morning, forced their way into the building, killed the security dog and marched the students out at gunpoint. A student who managed to escape described the operation as swift and frightening, leaving the neighborhood in shock. The affected students had recently joined a protest demanding that the university withdraw them from the Emohua campus due to repeated threats from suspected cult groups. Observers noted that despite the students’ complaints, the university management had maintained the status of the campus, saying it was in consultation with security agencies and community leaders. In Imo State, fourteen passengers traveling from Owerri to Aba were abducted when armed men intercepted their bus at Ngor Okpala. It happened that the attackers emerged suddenly from the bush, fired shots to halt the vehicle, and ordered all passengers out. Several of the victims were said to have scattered into the surrounding bushes in panic before the armed men seized those within reach. The road where the incident occurred has recorded similar attacks in previous months, raising fresh concerns about the effectiveness of ongoing police patrols in the area. Security operatives in Rivers have begun a search operation to trace the abducted students, while officers in Imo are said to be assessing the scene for leads. The whereabouts of the nineteen abducted individuals remain unknown at the moment, and, according to different reporting, no ransom demand has yet been confirmed by authorities. The incidents have once again drawn attention to the growing vulnerability of students and ordinary travelers in regions long troubled by armed groups.
| 2025-12-03 06:35:18