Kogi State governor, Usman Ododo, on Saturday expressed confidence that the nine abducted students of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, will be rescued from their abductors.

The governor made the pledge when he visited the university campus on an assessment of the security situation amid the security breach on the campus that led to the incident.

Bandits invaded the institution on Thursday and abducted nine students, whose whereabouts remained unknown as the assailants had yet to make contact with the management of the institution.

Mr Ododo, who was conducted round the surrounding by the Vice Chancellor, Prof Abdulraman Asipita, vowed to secure the safe return of the students from their abductors.

“This visit is part of my concern for what happened on Thursday and to assure parents and management that every necessary step including non-kinetic measures have been activated to ensure the safe return of the abducted students.

“I hereby wish to assure members of the university community of the efforts of my administration to improve the existing security architecture on the campus. We will do whatever it takes to return all the abducted students to the university and to reunite them with their families and friends.

“It is our duty as a government to protect lives and property in all parts of the state. We are prepared to protect the students and that is why we allowed the students to stay on the campus. It’s unfortunate that in spite of installed CCTV cameras in the classrooms and the entire perimeter of the university campus the abductors still struck.

“Our investigation so far revealed that all the cameras were switched off and this can only be attributed to sabotage by internal collaborators,” he stated. 

According to him, security agencies are on their heels and investigation is ongoing to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

He disclosed that there would be regular review of the operation as more facts emerge from the investigation.

He said, “I am here to see things myself; to assess the situation and also to review the ongoing operation that will ensure the safe return of the students to the school. What is most important now is how to rescue our students unhurt. We have the right information at our disposal but we can’t put all that out in the media. I want the parents and students to be calm as we are making concerted effort to secure the return of the students.’’

Mr Ododo commended the security agencies for their gallantry in minimising the impact of the attack by preventing the attackers from gaining access to the university hostels.

“Nothing will be spared to bring back the students and to prevent a repeat of such unfortunate attacks on the university campus and elsewhere in the state,” Mr Ododo stated.

(NAN)