Kogi State Governor Usman Ododo has disclosed that the CCTV cameras at the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTEC) in the Osara area of the state were switched off during the abduction of nine students of the institution by bandits.

Bandits invaded the university on Thursday night and abducted no fewer than nine students, whose whereabouts remained unknown as the assailants were yet to make contact with the management of the institution.

Speaking during a visit to the university campus on Saturday, May 11, 2024, Ododo said an investigation revealed that all cameras in the university were switched off during the attack.

The governor, who was taken round the surrounding by the CUSTEC Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdulraman Asipita, vowed to secure the safe return of the students from their abductors.

He said: “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.

Kogi govt: Bandits kidnapped 9 varsity students

“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 all 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.”

Governor Ododo further stated that security agencies are on their heels and that an investigation is ongoing to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

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

Ododo 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.”

 

The governor, therefore, 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.

The Star