Academic activities inside Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, in Okene, Kogi State has been stopped completely after bandits invaded the school premises and kidnapped scores of students.
As gathered, the school management could not ascertain the number of students abducted by the gunmen during the attack that lasted for several minutes within the premise.
An eyewitness account indicated that the bandits swooped on the university around 9pm yesterday while the students were reading for their examination scheduled for next Monday, May 13.
A source narrated that the bandits came in through the bush, went into three lecture halls, where the students were reading ahead ot the examination and began to shoot into the air, in order to scare students and the institution’s security team.
“They trapped the students inside the halls and started taking them; the school was thrown into total confusion as fear-stricken students in other halls scurried to safety, scampering in various directions.
“By the time local security guards and the conventional security men at the gate engaged the bandits, they had already succeeded in abducting some students.
“But the efforts minimised the damage as the attackers didn’t go beyond the first three halls,” the source said.
According to the source, the students were preparing for their first-semester examination expected to commence on Monday, May 13, when the bandits struck.
A student, who craved anonymity, said that he and some colleagues ran to the bush and hid there for “more than an hour. We only ventured out when everywhere became quiet,” he said.
The school Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulraman Asipita, confirmed the incident but refused to give details of the number of students abducted.
“I don’t talk to journalists on incidents like this, but I want you to know that we are on top of the situation,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Commissioner of Police in Kogi, Bethrand Onuoha, were not successful.
Retired Cdre Jerry Omodara, State Security Adviser, could equally not be reached for comments as calls to his line were not picked up nor returned.
