Plateau varsity student freed after security operation in Bokkos
- A 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, has regained her freedom after gunmen abandoned her.
- She was taken from an off-campus residence; another person was shot and injured in the attack.
- The university says it is working with security agencies to protect students living on and off campus.
A first-year female student of Plateau State University (PLASU) in Bokkos, Plateau State, is free again after the gunmen who took her abandoned her when security teams moved in, the university has said.
The student, identified as Favour Ayuba, was seized on Saturday night, 31 October, from a rented home outside the campus in Bokkos Local Government Area. Another person was shot and wounded during the same attack.
Masara Kim, the university's acting public relations officer, told journalists in Jos on Tuesday that the kidnappers let her go when they saw security personnel closing in. The university and a joint security team had launched the operation together, he said.
She was taken to hospital for checks and treatment after her release.
Security sources said troops of Sector 5, Operation Enduring Peace, stationed at the university, got word of her release at about 7:20 p.m. on Sunday, 1 November.
Safety worries for students living off campus
The case has revived concern about students who rent rooms in the Bokkos university community rather than living in hostels.
A staff member, who asked not to be named because he is not cleared to speak publicly, said this was the second security incident in off-campus student housing in four weeks. He said the school can house only about 1,000 of its nearly 20,000 students because of funding limits.
Kim said the university will keep working with security agencies to make the campus and its surroundings safer for students and staff, and he thanked the security personnel for acting quickly.
Several questions remain unanswered. There is no public confirmation of whether any ransom was paid, who the abductors are, or whether anyone has been arrested. The condition of the person shot during the attack was also not known as of Thursday morning.
The Plateau State police spokesperson, Alabo Alfred, had not responded to questions about the incident when the first reports were filed.
What happens next
The university says it will keep talking to the authorities about expanding hostel space and improving security for students.
