This is according to findings by The Punch.
The students were allegedly abducted in Benue State by unidentified gunmen while traveling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to the Nigerian Law School campus in Yola, Adamawa State, on Saturday.
Earlier report on Sunday had it that the abduction happened late Saturday as the students were en route to resume classes at the Yola campus, which was scheduled to reopen on Monday after their court externship break.
In a phone conversation (with The Punch) on Sunday, a fellow law student at the Yola campus, Damilare Adenola, confirmed the incident, saying, “Six students of the Nigerian Law School have been reportedly kidnapped by suspected bandits while travelling to resume school after their court externship break.
“Some missing students have been identified as Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel, and Obiorah David.”
According to Adenola, reports indicate that the abduction occurred along the stretch between Wukari in Taraba State and a location in Benue State, an area known for security issues and frequent assaults on travelers.
An updated report on the incident revealed that the kidnappers are demanding N20m for the release of each student.
Sources from the Yola campus of the Nigerian Law School said on Sunday evening that the armed group had reached out to the victims’ families and peers to initiate ransom negotiations.
One student, Chisom, shared how he initially doubted the report until he tried to contact some of the victims.
He said, “We heard the news this morning (Sunday) that some of our classmates were abducted. I didn’t want to believe it, so I started making a few calls because I know all of them. I tried to call three of the victims, but their numbers were switched off.
“When I tried one of them again, he picked up the call. There was noise in the background, but when he finally spoke, he screamed that he had been kidnapped and told a colleague to send N20m for his release.”
He added that he spoke to another classmate based in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, who had already been informed of the incident.
“He told me he’d been aware of the abduction since Thursday. According to him, the wife of one of the victims reached out to inform him about it. That was when we confirmed that the kidnapping happened in Benue State,” he added.
A student union leader at the Yola campus, speaking (to The Punch) on condition of anonymity, revealed that the police had been informed.
“We are currently in Yola. We have contacted the Adamawa State Police Command. We are just waiting for more updates from them. We haven’t got any concrete information yet,” the student leader said.
On Sunday, the spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, Yahaya Suleiman, confirmed knowledge of the incident but stated that it took place outside their jurisdiction.
“The abduction did not occur inside Adamawa State. I will encourage you to contact the Benue State Police Command for more details,” Suleiman said.
He also stated that both police commands were cooperating to ensure the students’ safe return.
“We cooperate not only with the police in other states but also with other sister agencies to ensure that those coming into Adamawa are safe, without harassment or intimidation.
“The command is collaborating with officers and men of the Benue State Police Command to ensure these students are rescued,” he stated.
At the time this report was filed, attempts to contact Anene Catherine, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to her phone were unanswered.
This is not the first time Nigerian Law School students have been kidnapped. In 2022, gunmen reportedly abducted two students from the Agbani campus in Enugu State.
The victims were reportedly ambushed and kidnapped while shopping for food at the Eke Agbani market.
