Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted three students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), according to reports gathered by Undergragra Nigeria. The incident occurred on Friday, March 29, 2024, at around 7:00 pm when the armed men stormed Freedom Hostel, owned by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and whisked the victims away to an unknown destination.
The Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Prof Florence Banku Obi, confirmed the abduction on Sunday, identifying the students as Ojang Precious Ebejin, a 200-level student of Medicine and Surgery, Ugwu Chukwuemeka, a 300-level student of Genetics and Biotechnology, and Damilola Dickson, a final-year student of the same department.
SP Irene Ugbo, the spokesperson of the State Police Command, also confirmed the incident, stating that the police were collaborating with other agencies to rescue the students.
According to sources, the gunmen, who shot sporadically into the air, abducted the students via speedboats through a river after breaking into Freedom Hostel. The kidnapped students, Damilola Dickson and Ugwu Chukwuemeka, are both students of Genetics and Biotechnology, while Ojang Precious Ebejin is a 200-level student of Medicine and Surgery.
One of the sources, who chose to remain anonymous, disclosed to Undergragra Nigeria that Damilola Dickson, a final-year student, is an only child with just five months left to graduate from the university.
UNICAL is currently on break, but it is not uncommon for some students to stay back during holidays. The source further revealed that kidnappers often escape with their victims via the waterways in the state, cautioning students against moving close to these areas.
