Dennis Erezi
The Kogi State police Commissioner, Bertrand Onuoha, on Sunday, confirmed the killing of two students adopted Thursday 9th May 2024 from the Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH) Osara in Kogi State.
“Yes two of them were found to have been shot dead,” Onuoha said.
The police commissioner did not however provide further details aside from the confirmation while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Lokoja.
He said that an investigation is still ongoing as to the circumstances of their killing.
The students were killed amidst ongoing negotiations with their parents. It is yet to be ascertained the number of students of the institution who 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 while others whose number is yet to be known were still with their abductors.
Meanwhile, a nongovernmental organization Education for All, E4A had earlier disclosed the names of the two students killed as James Michael Anajuwe, a 100 level Information Technology student and Musa Hussein, a 100 level Software Engineering student of the University.
E4A spokesperson Nasir Ibrahim in a statement said the intent of the kidnappers was to scare young people away from going to school.
While condemning the killing, E4A said “it is sad that the criminals killed two of the students who were not among the 21 rescued through the operation coordinated by the Kogi State Government, though the circumstances of their kidnap and being traced to a forest in Kwara State by security agencies are yet to be ascertained.
“This is sad, callous and a call for collective action against attackers of educational institutions,” Ibrahim said.
“We are aware that parents of the students were negotiating with the kidnappers which slowed down the offensive on the kidnappers by security agencies so as not to endanger the lives of the captives. We were very hopeful and optimistic that they will be released at the end of the negotiations.
“Information reaching us shows that the students allegedly killed were James Michael Anajuwe, a 100 level Information Technology student and Musa Hussein, a 100 level Software Engineering student of the University. They were allegedly killed at the kidnappers’ hideout in Kwara State.
“We call on the Kogi State Government to work with its Kwara State counterpart to take a decisive action against the perpetrators who are said to be hiding in a forest in Kwara, very close to Kogi and Ekiti States.”
The NGO commiserates with the families of the lost children, urging the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Federal Ministry of Education to reinvigorate efforts on the Safe School Initiative.
“The painful loss of the two students should provoke the office of the National Security Adviser to work with the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure the safety of our schools across the country.
“It is unacceptable to lose children whose only offence was embracing education. Our nation must rise to the occasion to arrest the rising insecurity across the country”, the statement said.
Meanwhile, the Kogi state Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH), has announced three days of morning over the two students murdered by armed bandits on Saturday, 25th May, 2024.
Olufunke Hudson (Ms), the Registrar of the university , said “It is with deep pain that the Management of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara hereby declares three days of mourning over the death of two of our students who were kidnapped on Thursday, 9th May and killed on Saturday, 25th May, 2024.
“All activities in the university are to be held low-key from Monday, 27th to Wednesday, 29th May, 2024 in memory of our departed students.
“The Management shares in the pains of the parents, family, and colleagues of our dearly beloved deceased students, and we use this medium to condole with them.
“We wish to assure the parents, guardians, and the university community that the Kogi State government is making concerted efforts to ensure the safe release of the remaining students from captivity.
“We urge everyone to be calm and maintain the peace as the Visitor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, is leaving no stone unturned in his efforts at making sure that the students are released safely.
“May the Almight God grant the souls of our departed students eternal repose.”
