The Federal University Dutsin Ma, Katsina State, says five students of the university that were abducted 74 days ago have been freed.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Armaya’u Bichi, told newsmen in Katsina that the students were released on Friday.
Five females students were abducted by terrorists on 3 October 2023 but one of them escaped few days after the abduction.
Four of the remaining students have now been released by the terrorists.
“Today (Friday) with the help of God, the students have been released. The students are on their way home but would be taken to Abuja to meet the National Security Adviser where they would also be taken to the hospital for medical checkup after which they would be handed over to their families,” Mr Bichi said in a voice recording aired by the DW Hausa.
When asked if ransom was paid before the students were released, Mr Bichi said it was the effort of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, that led to the release of the students.
“No money was paid before their release. Neither government nor the families of the abducted students paid money before the release of the students. It was the efforts of the National Security Adviser. He knows the effort he made to ensure the release of the students. You know it’s a security issue and we’ll not be making it public,” he said.
The police spokesperson in the state, Abubakar Sadik, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the release of the students.
Few days before the abduction of the students, terrorists also attacked hostels of the Federal University Gusau and abducted several students. Few of them have been rescued by security agents but over 20 of them remain in captivity.
North-west Nigeria has witnessed a high rate of attack by bandits.
Terror gangs, especially in Katsina, Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Kebbi, kill or abduct residents from communities and highways and demand ransom, sometimes in millions of naira, before releasing the abductees.
