Four female students from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (JOSTUM) in Makurdi were abducted Tuesday evening while heading to study, triggering campus protests and a temporary university shutdown.
According to witnesses, the incident occurred around 8:30pm when armed men intercepted the students—identified as Emmanuella, Fola, Susan, and Ella—as they traveled from Zamfara Hostel to a lecture hall near the North Core campus area. The students were ambushed before reaching the ring road.
A student speaking anonymously reported that five armed assailants surrounded the victims and demanded they follow them. When the students attempted to escape into nearby bushes while calling for help, the kidnappers threatened to shoot, forcing them to surrender. Two additional students reportedly managed to escape during the confrontation.
The abduction sparked widespread protests across campus on Wednesday, with students gathering outside their hostels demanding immediate action. "This is unacceptable," one protester stated. Another student, identified only as Mary, expressed the growing fear among the student body: "We live in constant fear. If we can't even move freely to read at night, then how are we supposed to focus on our studies?"
Police spokesperson Catherine Anene confirmed the incident but reported that two students were kidnapped, while university authorities stated in an official release that three students were abducted. Following emergency meetings with security agencies and stakeholders, the university administration announced a one-week mid-semester break.
"All students are to vacate their hostels before 4:00 PM today, Wednesday, 26th February, 2025," stated university Registrar John David, adding that "security agencies are working tirelessly to effect the release of the abducted students."
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU-FUAM) condemned the rising insecurity on campus and expressed solidarity with affected students and parents. Union chairman Paul Igber Anyagh called for urgent security improvements, noting previous incidents including the kidnapping of a staff member at university quarters.
This marks the third kidnapping incident at the institution in recent years. In May 2024, two female students were abducted along the North Bank/UniAgric road in Makurdi, and in 2021, three students were forcibly taken at gunpoint while studying at the College of Engineering premises.
