Twenty Nigerian medical students who were abducted on their way to a convention have been freed, more than a week after their capture, police announced.
The students were seized on August 15 by gunmen as they travelled to a conference in Benue State, central Nigeria. The kidnappers later demanded a ransom for their release.
On Saturday, Nigerian police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi confirmed the students’ release. “We confirm the release on Friday of our brothers and sisters and some other Nigerians who have been in captivity in Ntunkon forest, Benue State,” he said.
The state police also confirmed that the 20 students, who attend the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos, were freed without any ransom being paid. Adejobi noted that the group was “rescued tactically and professionally.”
The release followed the deployment of a “tactical squad” in Benue State by Nigeria’s police chief, who has been addressing the rising wave of abductions in the country.
Fortune Olaye, secretary-general of the Nigerian Medical Students’ Association (NIMSA), confirmed to AFP that the students had been released and were safe. “We’ve spoken to them on the phone. They are safe,” Olaye said.
The students were kidnapped near the town of Otukpo, approximately 150km (93 miles) from Enugu, a region known for frequent attacks and kidnappings.
