The group of Nigerian Law School students who were kidnapped in Benue State last month have refuted claims by the police that they were rescued, insisting instead that their families paid ransom for their release after five harrowing days in captivity.

In a detailed statement shared by one of the victims, Reverend Ernest Okafor, the students narrated their ordeal and clarified the sequence of events, aiming to set the record straight on what truly transpired.

According to Rev. Okafor, the group left Onitsha, Anambra State, on the morning of Saturday, July 26, 2025, heading to Yola. They reached Katsina Ala in Benue State by around 7 p.m., and shortly after, the bus they were traveling in was hijacked by unknown gunmen at about 9 p.m.

The captives were taken deep into the forest and moved between multiple locations, enduring physical torture and psychological trauma throughout their captivity. The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of ₦50 million, which was later reduced to ₦10 million.

The victims were forced to contact their families to arrange for the ransom payment, with some successfully completing the payment leading to their release on the morning of Friday, August 1, 2025. However, two individuals reportedly remain in captivity.

Rev. Okafor emphasized that the police did not rescue them. Rather, after the group was released by their captors, they walked several kilometers to Wukari in Taraba State, where they were later received by police officials. The police subsequently transferred the students through several divisional headquarters before finally returning them to the Nigerian Law School in Yola.

“The Police lied,” Rev. Okafor stated. “We were not rescued by the police. We were only received by the police after we informed them of our release.”

He called on President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police to hear their side of the story firsthand to dispel misinformation.

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