Two suspected abductors of the 20 freed medical students may have been arrested by the police.
The 20 students from the University of Maiduguri and University of Jos were abducted on their way in Benue State last week Thursday.
However, the Benue State Police Command, through public relations officer, Sewuese Anene, on Friday night confirmed the release of the 20 medical students.
Indeed, while the police are yet to.confirm the arrest, images of the kidnappers responsible for the abduction of 20 medical students from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos have surfaced online, providing the first visual confirmation of the criminals behind the harrowing nine-day ordeal.
The photos, now widely circulated across social media, have drawn significant attention as they offer a glimpse into the faces of those involved in the abduction.
The students were said to have been rescued on August 23, 2024, from Ntunkon Forest in Benue State, following a coordinated security operation.
While one security source says the students were released a few kilometres from Utonkon in Ado local government of the State another said the medical students were rescued at Ajide forest in Ukwonyo in the same local government council.
One of the security sources who did not want to be named disclosed that a suspect simply known as Janiru was arrested from Olena in Otukpo suburb and later confessed to have knowledge of the kidnappers responsible for the kidnap of the 25 victims with the medical students inclusive.
According to him Janiru further confessed to be the one scheduled to have collected the ransom for the release of some of the victims.
In the process, he was arrested by the men of the Benue state community volunteer guards and later handed over to the IRT where he confessed to have led the joint team to Otobi.
He said the suspect later made a call to his gang members assuring them that he has collected the ransom and moved to Obollo Afor in Enugu state.
Subsequently, the team later traced them to one of their hide outs at Ulayi community in Ado Local Government Area but they have moved out of the enclave.
The team was able to retrieve the contact of the gang leaders from the phone of the suspect after arresting a second suspect from Ulayi.
The team threatened the suspect after which he reluctantly promised to direct his boys to release the victims.
According to the security source all the victims were released at a distance of over 15 kilometers from Utonkon community in Ado local Government Area.
The other security source within the security team told our correspondent that the combined security operatives, who carried out the rescued operation, succeeded in killing one of the kidnappers and captured two others before they rescued the victims.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, said the medical students were rescued at Ajide forest in Ukwonyo council ward, Ado LGA of Benue State.
“We (combined security team) have been combing the areas which is a haven for kidnappers and for the past one week, we have been stationed in this axis.
” Interestingly, at about 0200hrs, yesterday 24/8/24, we descended on the kidnappers, killed one, captured two and rescued all the students.
“As I speak to you, we have escorted them out of Benue State.
“All the rescued victims are now in Abuja receiving treatment in a hospital which I cannot disclose to you now,”said the source.