Gov. Ododo assures safe return of abducted CUSTECH students
Ahmed Usman Ododo the governor of Kogi state has pledged to secure the safe return of students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) Osara, who were abducted from the university campus on Thursday.
He disclosed this information during his visit to the university campus to evaluate the security situation following the security breach that resulted in the abduction of the students.
Ensuring that all essential actions, including non-kinetic measures, are being utilised to secure the safe return of the kidnapped students.
Governor Ododo vowed to take all necessary measures to repatriate the kidnapped students to the university and facilitate their reunion with their families and friends.
He also reassured members of the university community of the government’s commitment to enhance the current security infrastructure on campus.
The governor stated that, “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.”
“We installed CCTV cameras in all the classrooms and the entire perimeter of the university campus yet on the day of the attack, our investigation so far revealed that all the cameras were switched off and this can only be attributed to sabotage by internal collaborators.”
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“Our security agencies are on their heels and investigation is ongoing. All our students shall return safely and the perpetrators shall be brought to book.”
Governor Ododo speaking on the current rescue efforts, he revealed that there will be a continuous evaluation of the operation as additional information is uncovered during the investigation.
According to the Governor, “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.”
He praised the security forces for their bravery in minimising the effects of the assault by thwarting the intruders’ attempts to enter the university dormitories.
He emphasized that every effort will be made to rescue the students and avoid a recurrence of such a regrettable incident on the university grounds and in other areas of the state.
