Security operatives have been deployed to rescue the 20 medical students who were abducted along the Otukpo-Otukpa-Enugu Road on Thursday evening.
Speaking to The PUNCH on Friday, the spokesperson for the state command, Superintendent of Police Catherine Anene, said the command, in conjunction with other security agencies, had deployed officers to ensure that the abducted medical students were rescued.
She said, “Yes, we have deployed officers to rescue the abducted medical students. It is definitely a joint force; police in collaboration with other security agencies were deployed”.
Anene also added that the medical students were abducted around Ojano village located along Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu Road.
Ojano is about 20 minutes from Otukpo town along Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu Road.
The area, particularly the Otukpo/Otukpa portion of the federal highway, is notorious for criminality.
Prominent people including former local government chairmen, priests, the Rector of Benue State Polytechnic, and other road users had, at one time or another, fallen victim to kidnapping along the road despite the presence of large numbers of security personnel.
The 20 medical students of the University of Maiduguri and Jos, travelling to Enugu, were kidnapped along Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu road Thursday evening.
The medical students were reportedly travelling to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students annual convention in Enugu when they ran into the gunmen.
