By Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo
Five days after their abduction by gunmen operating along Okigwe-Uturu road, nothing has been heard about the passengers who were kidnapped along with students of Abia State University Uturu(ABSU).
Apart from the passengers of the minibus in which the students were travelling in, occupants of two other vehicles, a Toyota Camry and Sienna, were said to have been among those abducted by the hoodlums.
But so far the exact number of people in the custody of the criminal gang remain unknown and no information has come out concerning their fate.
The governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, had late Saturday night announced the release of the only student in the custody of the abductors. Two other students had escaped, though they were initially thought to have been held by the hoodlums.
Ikpeazu broke the cheering news via his official Twitter handle @Governorikpeazu, saying that he was exceedingly happy at the development. He vowed that he would “surely take justice to those involved in the kidnap and will not cohabit with criminal elements”.
“It is with exceedingly great joy and a very pleasant sense of relief that I announce that the only kidnapped ABSU student who was still in custody of the hoodlums that abducted some people few days ago along the Okigwe-Uturu Road has been freed,” the governor enthused.
Though Governor Ikpeazu said that he had spoken with the freed student and her mother minutes before he announced her release, he did not speak on the circumstances that made the criminal gang to free the student.
However, he expressed gratitude to God and lauded security agents and the management of ABSU “for a job well done leading to this good news”.
It was gathered that the kidnapped but freed student is a final year student of political science named Jessica Onyendi.
“Our administration has since taken measures to strengthen security around the area where the incident happened and even beyond to ensure security of lives and property which remains my number one assignment as Governor and it is one duty I will never take lightly,” Ikpeazu said.
