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NANS Condemns Abduction of Medical Students, Demands Immediate Release
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly condemned the recent abduction of more than 20 medical and dental students from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos.
The students were taken by armed assailants on Thursday evening while en route to the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) annual convention in Enugu.
The kidnapping took place around 5:30 PM in the Otukpo area of Benue State. The students, along with a House Officer, were ambushed during their journey, as confirmed by the State Police Command on Friday morning.
In a statement released on Friday, NANS Senate President Okunomo Henry Adewumi expressed grave concern over the incident and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted students.
The student association has called upon security agencies to ensure that the victims are rescued safely and unharmed.
NANS denounced the abduction as a grim indication of the increasing insecurity in Nigeria, drawing parallels with recent violent events such as the abduction and killing of passengers in Ondo State and the brutal murder of a farmer by herdsmen in Oba Akoko, Ondo State.
The student body extended its deepest sympathy and support to the victims and their families, urging the government to take urgent and effective action to address these senseless acts of violence and to prevent future incidents.
The statement highlighted NANS’s commitment to advocating for the safety and well-being of Nigerian students and reminded the government of its responsibility to ensure the right to education and national security.
NANS called for several measures, including the immediate rescue of the abducted individuals, increased security presence in vulnerable regions of Benue and Ondo States, improved intelligence gathering and sharing, and enhanced protection for educational institutions, medical facilities, and local communities.
Furthermore, NANS demanded that the perpetrators of these crimes and any accomplices within security forces, educational institutions, and government agencies be prosecuted.
The organization also urged the governors of the affected states to collaborate closely with federal authorities to tackle the escalating security challenges in their regions effectively.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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