Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
Five days after their abduction by gunmen on Okigwe-Uturu road, Abia State, nothing has been heard about the passengers who were kidnapped along with students of the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU).
Apart from the passengers of the minibus on which the students were travelling, 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 captivity of the criminal gang remains unknown, and no information has come out concerning their fate.
The Abia State Governor, 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 news via his official Twitter handle @Governorikpeazu, saying he was exceedingly happy at the development, as he vowed that he would “surely take justice to those involved in the kidnap and will not cohabit with criminal elements.
“It is with a 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 on the Okigwe-Uturu road has been freed.”
Though Ikpeazu said he had spoken with the freed student and her mother minutes before he announced her release, he was not forthcoming with 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, 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 a governor, and it is one duty I will never take lightly,” Ikpeazu said.
