Kidnapped JOSTUM students released after 8 days

The four female students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (JoSTUM), formerly the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), who were kidnapped on February 25, 2025, have been released after eight days in captivity.

The students, Susan, Emmanuella, Fola and Ella were abducted by armed assailants while heading to a lecture hall on campus, sparking widespread outrage among their fellow students and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), JoSTUM branch, who called for their immediate release.

The abduction prompted the university administration to close the institution indefinitely in response to growing security concerns.

The students were freed at approximately 9 PM on Wednesday, 5th March, 2025, after spending more than a week in captivity.

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A close family friend of one of the students confirmed their release, adding that the young women were promptly taken to a medical facility for a thorough check-up and rehabilitation.

The source explained, “I can confirm that the three girls have been released. They regained their freedom around 9 PM on Wednesday, and they have since been taken for medical care.

The kidnappers had taken the students deep into the forest, and they need proper medical attention and psychological support due to the trauma they endured.”

Information about the arrest of their captors have not been confirmed as at the time of this report.

Shedrach Elum, spokesperson for the JOSTUM Students’ Union also confirmed the students’ safe return, stating, “I have been reliably informed that they are back safely.

For the freed JOSTUM students and their families, the nightmare has ended, though the trauma lingers. Sadly, many others across Nigeria remain in captivity, awaiting their chance to return home, while countless others continue to live in fear of abduction.”

In response to ongoing security concerns, the university management has announced plans to establish a “standby military presence on campus before the resumption of classes.

This initiative is designed to deter potential threats and ensure the safety of the academic environment, the university said.