News
Kaduna abductions: Parents devastated by students’ killing, 65 kidnapped in fresh attacks
Parents of the abducted students of Greenfield University, Kaduna State, have been left devastated after news filtered in on Friday that the kidnappers had killed three of the students.
In a related development, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union on Friday alleged that no fewer than 65 Adara villagers in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the state were abducted by gunmen on Tuesday.
Greenfield University, which is privately owned, is located along the Kaduna-Abuja Highway in Kasarami, Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
Gunmen had reportedly kidnapped 23 students of the university on Tuesday night, killing a staff member during a shooting spree.
The bandits later made contact with the parents and demanded a ransom of N800m for the students’ release.
Sadly, on Friday, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, broke the news of the killing of three of the students by the bandits.
He said in a statement that the students’ remains were found close to the university on Friday.
The murdered students were two females and a male.
Aruwan said, “In an act of mindless evil and sheer wickedness, the bandits who kidnapped students of Greenfield University have shot dead three of the abducted students.
“The remains of three students were found today (Friday) in Kwanan Bature village, a location close to the university, and have been evacuated to a mortuary by the Commissioner, Internal Security and Home Affairs (Aruwan), and the Force Commander, Operation Thunder Strike, Lt Col MH Abdullahi.”
Aruwan said the state Governor Nasir El-Rufai mourned and condemned the students’ killing and described it as “sheer wickedness, inhumanity, and an outright desecration of human lives by vile entities.”
Aruwan quoted El-Rufai as saying the bandits represented the worst of humankind and must be fought at all costs for the violent wickedness that they represented.
However, some parents of the abducted students have been left traumatised following the development on Friday, expressing panic over the fate of the remaining students.
The parents said the bandits were insisting on collecting N800m ransom before releasing the remaining students.
One of the parents, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said they met with the management of Greenfield University on Thursday and agreed on “collective bargaining.”
“We met on Thursday with the school authorities. We agreed on collective bargaining. We don’t know what went wrong. The bandits are still insisting on the N800m ransom that they earlier demanded,” the parent said.
Another parent who also spoke on condition of anonymity said the bandits insisted on collecting the full ransom, adding that the failure to pay it must have led to the killing of the three students.
“It’s unfortunate that the state is still insisting on not having anything to do with the negotiations even when lives are involved,” the parent said, adding that the bandits had vowed to kill the remaining students should the parents fail to pay the ransom or attempt to use force to free the students.
Meanwhile, perturbed by the news of the killing of the three students, some parents of the abducted students of the Federal College of Forestry, Kaduna, also expressed panic on Friday, calling on the international community to intervene.
Gunmen had on March 11 abducted 39 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Mando, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Ten of the students have been released by their captors, while 29 remain in captivity.
A parent of one of the abducted students who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity expressed fear and frustration, saying their hope only rested on God at the moment.
“We are looking unto God,” the frustrated parent said on the telephone, asking, “What else do you want me to say?”
Another parent, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, urged the international community to wade into the matter for their children to be freed.
The parent said, “We heard what happened (the killing of the three Greenfield University students). We are really concerned about the situation at hand.
“We are worried that if care is not taken, what befell those students may happen to our children. We are not praying for that, though.
“It is based on this that we are calling on well-meaning Nigerians, the state and federal governments, as well as the United Nations, to save the situation.
“We, in particular, call on the United Nations to prevail on the Nigerian government to do the needful in order to save our children from these bandits. We are calling on the international community to do something and not just watch what is happening in Kaduna State.”
SOKAPU alleges gunmen kidnap 65 Adara villagers in Southern Kaduna
Meanwhile, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union has alleged that about 65 Adara villagers in the Kajuru Local Government Area of the state were abducted by gunmen on Tuesday.
The union said among those abducted were the Village Head of Libere, Mr Bala Yero, his wives, and 16 others.
SOKAPU spokesman, Luka Binniyat, in a statement on Friday, said the bandits invaded the village at about 11 pm on Tuesday and shot indiscriminately, kidnapping victims.
Binniyat, however, said that 10 of the victims were able to escape the following day.
The statement read, “For reasons not clear to SOKAPU, Kaduna State government did not include in its daily security update the abduction of 65 Adara villagers from Libere Gari Village, Kallah ward, Kajuru Local Government Area in the southern part of Kaduna State on Tuesday night by persons identified by the villagers as armed Fulani militia.
“The gunmen, who arrived at the village around 11 pm, went about shooting in the air to scare villagers as they captured their victims from compound to compound. They spent two hours unchallenged. The kidnappers have yet to make contact with family members as of Friday.”
Nigerians outraged at students’ death
Following the killing of the students, Nigerians took to social media on Friday, simultaneously expressing grief and outrage at the incident.
The citizens asked the government to fix the problem of widespread insecurity in the country.
A Twitter user, Ani Chris, said, “My heart goes out to the families of the three students of Greenfield University Kaduna murdered by their criminal abductors. The death of these lads would have been avoided had the federal and Kaduna State governments prioritised the security of lives and property.”
Also, Taha Adam, tweeted, “I’m saddened by the death of three students of Greenfield University Kaduna. We keep saying the sole responsibility of any responsible government is to secure the lives and property of its citizens! We can’t continue like this. This is sad!”
Grace John also tweeted, “One Nigeria is scary…For how long would we continue to bear this pain? Nigerians are being killed every day under Buhari’s government.”
Another Twitter user with the handle @Mouna_Boo asked, “Please I need you all to pray for me and my family. My cousin was also kidnapped at Greenfield University. I’m so angry right now…What sort of life is this?”
Facebook user, Santos Felix wrote, “This is evil and wicked, yet Buhari is talking without any real solutions. May their souls rest in peace.”
Olu Philipa also wrote on Facebook, “Hmmm! So schooling in Nigeria nowadays is taking a huge risk? What is really happening? Innocent youths are dying and it does not call for concern!”
Similarly, Facebook user Henry Oweka wrote, “This is alarming! Our government and leaders have woefully failed us. May they (the students) rest in peace.”
Another Facebooker Toyin Adejuwon wrote, “How long are we going to stop these killings? No one is safe. Nigeria was not like this before. What an era! May God console the affected families.”
Kaduna State is among the northern states ravaged by frequent incidents of kidnapping and banditry.
However, the state has a policy of not paying ransom to kidnappers as the governor, El-Rufai, says it encourages more kidnappings.
Banditry now war situation, govt should cooperate –Gumi
Reacting to the students’ murder, Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, on Friday said the incident had underscored his position that bandits were now at war with the nation.
He said the only way forward was for the government to take his advice and grant amnesty to the bandits for them to lay down their arms.
Speaking with one of our correspondents on the phone, Gumi, who was involved in the process that led to the release of students abducted by bandits in Katsina and Niger states, said he was helpless in the case of Kaduna State because the state government had not shown any readiness to negotiate with the bandits.
Gumi, who is from Kaduna State, said the only way he could intervene as he did in Niger and Katsina states was for El-Rufai to reconsider his stance against negotiation with bandits.
He said, “The situation is becoming dire and I need the government’s support before I can do anything, and I think there is a great misunderstanding and poor reading of the situation on the ground. So, I’m really helpless; I don’t know what actually I can do as of now.”
On the students’ killing, Gumi said, “Honestly speaking, it is very unfortunate. There is an ethnic war going on, and I have been saying it. It is a war but if we don’t want to accept that it is a war, we will continue to suffer.
“You cannot predict the behaviour of people who are like that; this is the unfortunate thing and it is the common man that suffers. The way forward is for the government to listen to us, because those people (bandits) are ready to listen to us. If the government will cooperate and listen to us, I think there will be peace but we are finding it difficult to get the government’s attention.”
Likening the situation to the Iran-Iraq war, Gumi added, “We are in a war situation. As we are talking now, they (military) are dropping bombs on them (bandits). You cannot protect your children and you are dropping bombs on the enemies!
“You remember the Iran-Iraq war when they were bombing Baghdad and Tehran and they didn’t care about the civilians. When young girls (and boys) are killed like that, you should know that it is not just criminality, it is beyond criminality, it is a war.”
“There is a lot we can offer but we need the government to cooperate,” Gumi added.
PDP, ACF, CNG condemn students’ killing
The Peoples Democratic Party; pan-Northern sociopolitical organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum; and the Coalition of Northern Groups have similarly condemned the murder of three of the abducted students of the university.
The PDP asked the Federal Government to invoke every process permissible within the laws of the country to apprehend the assailants, secure the release of the remaining abducted students and those of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday, said, “The PDP laments that the bleeding of our nation is approaching a Class IV haemorrhage and urges President Muhammadu Buhari to allow for the rejigging of our security system to guarantee state and community policing in our country.”
Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, said the university students’ killing was a sad moment for the region.
“This is a sad moment for the North. It’s sheer madness. What do these bandits really want? Look at how backward the North is in terms of education. People established educational institutions and the same northerners kidnapped and killed student. It’s very sad.”
Likewise, the CNG Spokesman, AbdulAzeez Suleiman, said the students’ murder confirmed the lack of government’s will to secure citizens’ lives and property.
“Beyond this obvious failure, we also see Governor El-Rufai’s utterances as unhelpful in this situation. It’s not quite healthy for a government to boast where people’s lives are at stake.
“An idle leader is one who should know when to keep on fighting and when to beat a retreat. For El-Rufai to persist in such bravado is certainly unproductive and is costing the state,” Suleiman said.
Presidency downplays killings, says Buhari unfairly blamed
Amid the banditry attacks and killings, the Presidency on Friday said killings in the country were not new, adding that it was unfortunate that the media was presenting them as such.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said this on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Friday barely hours after the killing of three abducted students of Greenfield University, Kaduna.
Shehu said a glance at old newspapers would reveal that insecurity had been rife in the country since the 1960s.
He said when killings happen, everything is blamed on the President while governors and local government chairmen are left off the hook.
Responding to a question, Shehu said, “I think there is a determination by some people to make security the narrative that would lead to the next elections in 2023. We are sad, we are not happy people are killing one another but the way it is being reported is to suggest to you that it has never happened.
“The other day, I was holding a newspaper to an audience. The New Nigerian Newspaper reported the kidnapping of 20 on November 7, 1966 in the Mid-West. If something like that happens today, it will be reported as if there had never been an incident like that in the history of this country.
“And Buhari – not any other person – not the local council chairman, or governor, Buhari is responsible. So, we know the game in town.”
Meanwhile, the Plateau State government has called on security agents to improve on the protection of the citizens’ lives and property.
The state Commissioner for Information, Dan Manjang, stated this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Jos on Friday while reacting to the killing of the three Greenfield University students.
Manjang, who described the incident as sad and callous, said the situation must not be allowed to continue.
“As a state government, we are saddened by the situation and we are calling on the security agents to up their game to protect Nigerians.
“We are also calling on the people to be united and support the efforts of the government to rid the country of banditry and other forms of insecurity because we cannot continue this way,” he said.
PUNCH
The Director of the Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service, Chief Okwudili Ohaa, has said the swift mobilisation of emergency resources by Governor Peter Mbah led to the rescue of five occupants trapped in a collapsed building in Enugu metropolis.
The uncompleted four-storey building, located along Ogbaru Street, by Alvan Ikokwu Street, Independence Layout, Enugu, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday.
Ohaa told newsmen on Sunday that all five occupants of the building, as confirmed by the security guard on duty, were successfully rescued.
Ohaa
He said four of the occupants were rescued alive and conscious, although they sustained injuries, while the fifth person was rescued unconscious.
Ohaa commended Governor Mbah for his swift mobilisation of emergency response agencies, including the Red Cross, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Enugu State Ambulance Services, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Other agencies and organisations at the scene included the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA) and a Chinese construction company, which provided four heavy-duty cranes.
According to Ohaa, the governor alerted him about the incident early Sunday morning, prompting the immediate mobilisation of officers of the Enugu State Fire and Rescue Service to the scene with extrication equipment.
“His Excellency, Dr Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, must be commended for also mobilising adequate rescue equipment such as heavy-duty cranes, bulldozers and excavators, which ensured the rescue of the five persons,” he said.
Ohaa explained that rescue officers initially relied on information from the security guard to determine how many people were trapped in the building.
“As rescue officers, what we did was to ask the security man how many people were here. He said there were supposed to be six. One person had left before it happened.
“So, we were able at that initial time to rescue four persons. Out of the four, two sustained minor injuries and they were all rushed to a health facility for proper checks,” he said.
The Chief Fire and Rescue Officer said the fifth person was eventually recovered unconscious and taken to a health facility by the Enugu State Ambulance Services.
The NEMA Information Officer in Enugu, Mr Nnanyelugo Ezeani, also confirmed that five people were rescued.
He said the situation could have been worse because the state government had earlier sealed the construction site.
“One person among the six residing in the collapsed building was not on the site at the time of the incident, while five others were rescued and taken to the hospital,” Ezeani said.
Speaking on the incident, the Executive Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Agency (ECTDA), Mr Uche Anya, described the developer as one of those who failed to comply with building regulations.
Anya said the ECTDA had earlier taken regulatory action by sealing the site, which was originally approved in 2021.
“This property was approved in 2021 before the advent of this administration. But usually, we have a habit of stocktaking and checking on every construction at every stage.
“When I personally led the team that inspected here, we found out that there were serious integrity issues and non-compliance with their 2021 approval.
“I personally issued the first ‘stop-work order,’ which, due to the violation, resulted in our sealing the place over the last six months outrightly.
“So, I think within the last 30 to 40 days, the representative of the owner, whom they say lives abroad, has been interfacing with us to remedy the situation. This is the process that we are still trying to interface on, and it came down.”
Anya added that he had handed the owner’s representative over to the police to assist with the investigation.
“This is really a very unfortunate situation,” he said.
A four-storey building under construction in Enugu has collapsed, killing at least one person and trapping several construction workers beneath the rubble.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning at the uncompleted structure, reportedly being developed as a hotel, causing panic among residents and passersby.
According to authorities, six workers were believed to have been sleeping inside the building when it collapsed. Four workers have so far been rescued, while the body of one victim has been recovered.
Authorities said one of the six workers reportedly left the site shortly before the collapse, raising hopes that fewer people may be trapped beneath the debris than initially feared.
The rescued workers were taken to the Enugu State Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Emergency responders, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigerian Red Cross Society, Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Enugu State Capital Territory Development Authority and the police, are participating in the rescue operation.
The cause of the collapse has not yet been established, while rescue efforts continue at the scene.
The member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Chinedu Ogah, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-graft agencies to investigate the financial activities and source of wealth of socialite and businessman, Paschal Okechukwu, popularly known as Cubana Chief Priest.
Ogah, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Reformatory Institutions, made the call on Thursday at a press conference in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.
The lawmaker said the businessman’s financial dealings should be subjected to scrutiny regardless of his public profile.
“I am urging the EFCC to thoroughly investigate him, investigate his bank accounts, investigate all the things he does,” Ogah said.
He also accused Cubana Chief Priest of undermining President Bola Tinubu’s political fortunes in the South-East ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ogah questioned the socialite’s claim to political influence in Ebonyi State and challenged him to make his membership card of the All Progressives Congress (APC) public.
The lawmaker further criticised recent comments attributed to Cubana Chief Priest on social media in which he reportedly called for the resignation of Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru.
Ogah demanded that the comments be withdrawn and followed by an apology, warning that legal action could be taken if the businessman failed to comply.
“Who is Cubana Chief Priest? What is his address that gives him the impetus to speak against our governor, the most performing governor in Nigeria?” he asked.
According to Ogah, Cubana Chief Priest had no electoral mandate to speak on behalf of Ebonyi State or demand the resignation of its elected governor.
He also questioned the businessman’s political influence, noting that he had previously contested an election in Imo State but failed to secure the party’s primary ticket.
Ogah alleges plot against Nwifuru
The lawmaker further alleged that unnamed political actors were sponsoring campaigns aimed at discrediting the Nwifuru administration and weakening the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
He defended the state’s security architecture, particularly the Commissioner of Police, Hope Okafor, against what he described as an orchestrated campaign for her removal.
Ogah urged the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies to investigate those behind the alleged campaign and determine whether any law had been breached.
“All of us can attest to the peace and security we enjoy in Ebonyi State. The Army, the police, the Civil Defence and the DSS are doing marvellously well in Ebonyi State,” he said.
Lawmaker accuses Otu of mobilising protesters
Ogah also accused another critic of the state government, Charles Otu, of allegedly mobilising people from outside Ebonyi State to participate in a protest against the government in Abuja.
He claimed that some of those involved were presented as Ebonyians despite allegedly coming from other states.
Ogah said his lawyers had previously petitioned the DSS over allegations involving Otu and urged the agency to investigate the matter.
He also challenged Otu to substantiate allegations he allegedly made against him during an appearance on Arise Television.
“My own is that whosoever defaults the law, we take it legally. I cannot mention who I have not known. But when we get there, it is for the security agencies to investigate,” Ogah said.
Ogah lists Nwifuru’s achievements
Defending the Nwifuru administration, Ogah cited the state government’s scholarship programmes, school construction, road projects and other development initiatives as evidence of the governor’s performance.
He said hundreds of Ebonyi indigenes had benefited from postgraduate scholarships in Nigeria and abroad, while roads and schools were being constructed across the state’s 13 local government areas.
Ogah also praised Nwifuru for what he described as political tolerance, saying opposition parties had been allowed to operate freely in the state.
He argued that the people of Ebonyi should determine their political leadership through the ballot rather than through media campaigns and protests.
“Ebonyi people will choose who is their leader. They should stop using the media to castigate the governor,” he said.
Questions Nwifuru’s omission from Tinubu campaign council
The lawmaker also questioned the reported omission of Governor Nwifuru from President Tinubu’s campaign council, describing it as an error that should be corrected.
“How can a governor that has done much in APC not be included in the campaign council? How can a governor that is elected under the APC not be included?” Ogah queried.
He maintained that Nwifuru’s political influence and the APC’s electoral performance in Ebonyi made him an important stakeholder in Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Ogah warned political actors against using the media to destabilise the state and urged all parties to pursue their grievances through legal and democratic channels.
The lawmaker, who is also the Ebonyi State Coordinator of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), was accompanied by other members of the group at the press conference.
He reiterated his call for security agencies to investigate the various allegations raised and take appropriate action against anyone found to have violated the law.
The Federal Character Commission (FCC) has urged youths in Enugu State to disregard the belief that federal government jobs and other opportunities are already allocated before they are advertised.
FCC Executive Chairman, Hulayât Motunrayo Omidiran, gave the charge on Thursday at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, during the Peter Eze Enugu Youth Connect 2026.
Omidiran urged the youths to acquire relevant skills, embrace technology and actively pursue legitimate opportunities, stressing that federal character should promote both equity and merit.
She also warned against fraudulent recruitment schemes and advised applicants to authenticate employment opportunities before applying.
The Enugu State Deputy Governor, Ifeanyi Ossai, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, challenged young people to prepare themselves for available opportunities.
Onyia said government could create opportunities, but individuals must develop the capacity to take advantage of them.
The FCC Commissioner representing Enugu State, Peter Ogbonna Eze, said the programme was designed to bridge the information gap preventing young people from accessing federal employment, scholarships, grants, fellowships and training opportunities.
Eze said many youths were discouraged from applying for federal jobs because of the misconception that such positions had already been shared among influential individuals.
He urged them to apply whenever legitimate opportunities were advertised, warning that nobody should pay money to secure a federal government job.
He also disclosed that five participants in the programme would be selected for a full scholarship opportunity.
Eze said the initiative would continue as a platform for connecting Enugu youths with credible opportunities and urged participants to become “ambassadors of opportunity” by sharing useful information with others.
The event brought together youths and stakeholders from across Enugu State to discuss federal representation, employment, education, skills development and other opportunities.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — Umuchigbo Iji Nike Autonomous Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has fixed Sunday, September 13, 2026, for its annual New Yam Festival.
The cultural celebration, which is scheduled to commence at 3 p.m., is being organised under the leadership of the Executive Chairman of Umuchigbo, Hon. Chief Afam Joseph Ogbene, popularly known as Akirika Chioku 1, Na Nike Kingdom.
The festival is expected to showcase the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the people of Umuchigbo and Umuenwene in Iji Nike Autonomous Community, while promoting unity and communal bonding.
Ogbene, in an invitation to the festival, described the celebration as an opportunity for the people to preserve their cultural heritage, strengthen community ties and give thanks for the year’s harvest.
He said, “Our New Yam Festival is more than a cultural celebration. It is a time for us to come together as one people, appreciate our heritage and give thanks for the blessings of the year.”
According to him, the event will also provide an opportunity for sons and daughters of the community, as well as friends and well-wishers, to reconnect and celebrate together.
“We are inviting everyone to come and celebrate with us. It is a celebration of our culture, our community and thanksgiving for the new yam season,” he added.
According to the invitation, activities will commence at Ogbene’s residence on Akirika Chioku Avenue, Nome Ogba Aniji Road, Umuchigbo, before proceeding to Obodoeze Iji Village Square, Odangene, for the New Yam rites and masquerade display.
The event will also feature traditional cuisine, music and other forms of cultural entertainment.
The organisers urged sons and daughters of Umuchigbo, friends, well-wishers and members of the public to join the community in celebrating the festival.
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