SOME of the 20 medical students kidnapped in Benue on Thursday tweeted from the kidnappers’ den on Friday and asked the general public for help to pay a N50 million ransom, Economy Post has gathered.
Over 20 medical and dental students, including a house officer, were kidnapped in Benue State on their way to Enugu for the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS).
The students were mostly from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos.
Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Police Command, Ms Sewuese Anene, confirmed the incident, saying it happened at about 5:30 pm.
“Yes, it happened on Thursday evening around 5:30 pm. The Medical students were said to be travelling from Jos axis and were heading to Enugu in two buses, for a programme when they were kidnapped around the Otukpo area.
READ ALSO: Zenith Bank silent over rumoured death of kidnapped staff
“Though I cannot tell which university they were from, they were medical students in transit. I am yet to receive full details of the incident but I can assure you that investigation into the matter has already commenced,” Ms Sewuese noted.
Tweeting from kidnappers’ den
Frustrated and afraid, the kidnapped students took to the social media to ask for help to pay the N50 million ransom demanded by their abductors. Obviously, their abductors allowed them to seek ransom through relatives and the general public on social media.
One of the kidnapped medical students, Kingsley Aondona, took to the X and wrote, “We were kidnapped on our way to Enugu for a convention @Nigerian_Doctor there are requesting for 50 million for 20 of us medical students please help us and we haven’t eaten for two days 08163420157- pius that is who we are gathering the money with.”
He added, “They said they would start killing us tomorrow.”
Another medical student, Ogbonna George, who is also a victim, wrote: “I have been kidnapped yesterday in Benue State, Please help reach my sisters.”
Tweeps knock failing security agencies
Twitter users took time to criticise the failing security agencies who can easily track social media critics of the government but can’t trace the whereabouts of kidnappers or their victims who tweeted asking for help.
An X user, @davsess, wrote under Kingsley Aondona tweet, “Someone is live at the location like this and we have DSS AND POLICE,their tracking devices are only to oppress???”
Another X user, @Wankope_king@Wankope_king, wrote: “Our security agencies won’t track this let it be government critics or protesters they will be doing gra gra.”
READ ALSO: Insecurity still a major problem despite Nigerian govt’s claims
Yet another X user, @k_ntic wrote, “And we say we have security agencies or law enforcement that are only active when they hear peaceful protest,DSS, police, army,it your duties to protect lives do your job.”
Kidnapping hits hard under Tinubu
There have been several kidnap cases under President Bola Tinubu. More than 227 pupils were kidnapped on March 7, Economy Post earlier reported.
More than 40 persons persons were killed on November 1, 2023 by Boko Haram terrorists in Maiduguri, Borno State.
In 2024, kidnapping has risen in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Economy Post had reported the kidnap of six sisters in the FCT in early days of 2024. One of the six sisters, identified as Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, was killed by the kidnappers, throwing the country into mourning.
The kidnappers had invaded the residence of the family in the Bwari area of Abuja and shot three police officers before kidnapping the sisters and their father. The kidnappers demanded N65 million ($81, 250) and threatened to unleash more mayhem if their demand was not met.
Another kidnap incident also occurred in the FCT on January 20 2023, with a man identified as Abdullahi Sabo, being a victim. Kidnappers also abducted several travellers on January 20 at the boundary between Ondo and Ekiti states.
On February 10, a GUO bus was attacked by criminals, killing the driver and kidnapping all the passengers onboard the Lagos-Abuja road.
On March 5, Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists razed 25 buildings meant for returnee internally displaced persons (IDPs) at Gajibo in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State, kidnapping over 100 women.
Gunmen kidnapped 2,164 Nigerians in the first quarter of this year, according to a report by Abuja-based Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited.
According to SB Morgen Intelligence, an international security intelligence-gathering firm, there were 68 mass abductions in the first three months of 2024, with 1,867 victims. Mass abductions stood at 24 months in 2019 and 2020, showing more abductions in 2024 under Mr Tinubu.
READ ALSO: Investors make exit plans as kidnappers turn Nigeria into dangerous territory
“The more things change, the more they remain the same,” a security expert, Mr Maxwell Giadom, told Economy Post.
“Families are still paying ransoms, people are still being killed and there is yet no solution to insecurity in Nigeria.
“The president must overhaul his security architecture because it is not working. He must change the personnel there, use intelligence available to him to haunt down sponsors of terrorism and kidnapping.
Also, Nigeria must begin to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to fight insecurity. We are in the 21st century and it is easy to track kidnappers with simple AI tools.”
