Sokoto health college denies report of 18 students’ abduction en route to Oyo

The Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto, has denied a report that about 18 of its students were abducted while travelling to Oyo State.

The college said no such incident involving its students occurred.

The denial followed a SaharaReporters report on Monday alleging that gunmen abducted about 18 students travelling from Sokoto to their communities in Oke-Ogun, Oyo State.

The report also said the driver of the vehicle conveying them was killed.

SaharaReporters cited a youth leader from Oke-Ogun as saying the victims were students of Gamji College of Health Technology and were travelling in a chartered bus to Igboho when they were attacked.

The source also claimed that the abductors and their captives had reached the Mokwa axis in Niger State.

However, the college registrar, Abdulrahman Bello, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the report was false.

“No, it’s false news,” Mr Bello said during a telephone interview.

He later sent PREMIUM TIMES a written statement issued by the college in response to the report.

College denies abduction

“The College wishes to categorically state that the said report is false, misleading and does not reflect the true situation,” the statement said.

“No student of Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto, was kidnapped, and there was no such incident involving our students.”

The college said its students were safe and at their various destinations pursuing their academic and professional programmes.

It urged parents, guardians and members of the public to disregard the report and rely on the institution’s official channels for information about its students.

Mr Bello told PREMIUM TIMES that the report had prompted inquiries about the students’ safety, including calls from outside Nigeria.

Police checking report

PREMIUM TIMES also contacted the Niger State Police Command after the report mentioned Mokwa.

The command spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, a superintendent of police, said he was not immediately aware of the incident.

“In Mokwa? When?” he asked after PREMIUM TIMES explained the report.

Mr Abiodun said he would verify the claim.

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“Okay, let me verify, let me find out,” he said.

He had not provided further information at the time of filing this report.

PREMIUM TIMES also called the spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, Ahmed Rufai, but he did not answer.

A WhatsApp message sent to him seeking clarification also received no response at the time of filing.

The report did not state the precise location of the alleged attack, while the college named in the report has denied that any of its students was abducted.

PREMIUM TIMES will update this report when the police or other relevant authorities provide further information.