Bandits Storm Confluence University, Abduct Students During Night Class

In a harrowing incident on Thursday night, bandits launched a brazen assault on Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTEC) located in Osara, Okene, Kogi State. Reports indicate that the assailants targeted the university at approximately 9:00 pm, catching students off guard as they prepared for upcoming examinations.

Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of terror as the bandits infiltrated the university premises under the cover of darkness. Armed and masked, they entered three lecture halls, unleashing a barrage of gunfire into the air, instilling fear among the students. Trapped inside, the students found themselves at the mercy of the attackers, who swiftly seized a number of them.

Despite the swift response of local security personnel and gatekeepers, who attempted to thwart the bandits’ advance, some students were forcibly taken by the assailants. However, their intervention managed to contain the situation, preventing further harm as the attackers were unable to breach beyond the initial three halls.

The targeted students, engrossed in their studies for the impending first semester examinations scheduled to commence on Monday, May 13, were abruptly thrust into a nightmarish ordeal. One student, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed how he and fellow classmates sought refuge in the surrounding bush, hiding for over an hour until the assailants’ presence subsided.

When approached for comment, CUSTEC’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulraman Asipita, acknowledged the incident but declined to disclose specific details regarding the number of students abducted. “I don’t talk to journalists about incidents like this, but I want you to know that we are on top of the situation,” he asserted.

Efforts to obtain official statements from the Commissioner of Police in Kogi, Mr. Bethrand Onuoha, and the State Security Adviser, Retired Cdre Jerry Omodara, were unsuccessful, as repeated calls went unanswered or unreturned, leaving concerned parties awaiting further developments in the wake of this alarming attack.