The Kogi State Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring those behind the killings of two abducted students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, are apprehended and brought to justice.
The government explained that the students were murdered while negotiations for their release were ongoing.
The Kogi Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement on Sunday, said while 21 other students were rescued alive, the two others were killed by their abductors while in captivity.
Highlighting government moves in tackling issues of kidnapping and banditry, the commissioner said Governor Usman Ododo had begun discussions with neighbouring states on ways to end the menace, adding that they have also involved security agencies to ensure the students’ killers do not go unpunished.
The statement read, “The State Government was all out to rescue all the students and spared nothing in doing so. Unfortunately, we were able to rescue 21 of them alive. The State Government also mobilized security operatives, including local hunters and conventional security forces, to rescue the remaining students. The kidnappers contacted the families and while the dialogue for their release was ongoing, the students were killed.
“This is an attack on us as a state and the killers of our students will not go unpunished. They killed the students at their hideout in Kwara State. We are currently working with security agencies to see how their remaining captives will be released.
“The Kogi State Governor, His Excellency Alh Ahmed Usman Ododo, has also opened dialogue with Governors of the neighbouring States on how to make the hideouts of the criminals uncomfortable for them. We thank the Governors of Kwara and Ekiti States for their cooperation and readiness to rid the evil forest of criminals.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims. The State Government will support them in every way possible in this dark hour of grief. We also sympathize with the CUSTECH community and the communities of the affected students.
“As a Government and a People, we will do everything possible to avert any possible future occurrence and strengthen strategies to ward off evil from our state. We mourn our departed champions. Terror is cowardice for only a coward will attack those seeking knowledge in schools.”
PUNCH online reported that a yet-to-be-ascertained number of students of the institution were kidnapped two weeks ago while they were preparing for their first-semester examination scheduled for last Monday.
However, 21 of them were rescued by the combined team of police and local vigilantes.