Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
A reported abduction of 18 students travelling from Sokoto State to Oyo State has been refuted by the institution named in the reports, with the Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto, and the Sokoto State Government both denying that any of the college’s students were kidnapped, even as authorities confirm that a bus was attacked, its driver killed, and passengers taken away.
The incident, which reportedly occurred within the 48 hours preceding Monday, October 5, 2026, involved a chartered bus travelling from Sokoto to Oyo State. Initial reports, citing an Oke-Ogun youth leader, claimed that 18 students of Gamji College of Health Technology were abducted after their vehicle was intercepted by suspected bandits along the route to Oyo State. The reports stated that the attackers killed the driver before taking the students away, and that the abductors had moved the victims towards the Mokwa axis in Niger State. The driver’s remains were reportedly buried on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
However, the college registrar, Abdulrahman Bello, told Premium Times on Monday that the report was false. In a written statement issued by the college, he said: “The College wishes to categorically state that the said report is false, misleading and does not reflect the true situation. No student of Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto, was kidnapped, and there was no such incident involving our students.” The college said its students were safe and at their various destinations pursuing their academic and professional programmes, and urged parents, guardians and members of the public to disregard the report and rely on the institution’s official channels for information.
The Sokoto State Government reinforced the denial in a statement issued by the Director-General for Media and Publicity at Government House, Abubakar Bawa. Bawa said the person reportedly abducted was Halima Sokeni, a former student of Gamji College of Nursing Sciences, More Area, Sokoto, who graduated as a midwife in September 2026. According to the government, Sokeni was travelling home on Thursday, October 1, when she and other passengers were abducted in Niger State. The government appealed to media organisations to verify information before publication to prevent the spread of false and alarming reports.
The clarification has left a confusing picture of the incident. Vanguard and SaharaReporters, both of which published the initial reports, cited a youth leader from Oke-Ogun who confirmed the attack and stated that the victims were students of Gamji College of Health Technology, not Usmanu Danfodiyo University as earlier reported. The youth leader said the students were travelling in a chartered bus from Sokoto to Oke-Ogun, specifically Igboho, and that the driver was killed and all the students kidnapped. Other sources said the number of abducted students could be as many as 18.
The Niger State Police Command, when contacted by Premium Times about the report mentioning Mokwa, said it was not immediately aware of the incident. The command spokesperson, Wasiu Abiodun, said he would verify the claim but had not provided further information at the time of filing. The Sokoto State Police Command spokesperson, Ahmed Rufai, did not answer calls or respond to a WhatsApp message seeking clarification. The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Olayinka Ayanlade, had not responded to messages sent to him as of the time of the Vanguard report.
The Oyo State Government, however, raised alarm over the incident. The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, said the government was concerned about the spate of kidnapping incidents involving indigenes of the state. Oyelade recalled that on Friday, May 15, students and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area were abducted and spent 56 days in captivity in harrowing circumstances, and that the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into that abduction was only submitted the previous week.
The conflicting accounts illustrate the challenges of verifying information in a security environment where accurate and timely data is often difficult to obtain. The college and the Sokoto State Government have provided official statements denying the abduction of the college’s students, and their accounts carry significant weight because they come from institutions with direct knowledge of their student populations. The reported abduction of Halima Sokeni, a former student of a different institution, is a separate matter that remains under investigation.
The incident comes amid a broader pattern of kidnappings targeting travellers along Nigeria’s highways, particularly in the North-West and North-Central regions, where bandit groups operate with relative impunity. In recent weeks, 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps members were abducted in Imo State, 20 others were abducted in a separate incident, and a village head was killed in Kebbi State. The frequency of these attacks has heightened public anxiety about the safety of interstate travel, particularly for young people returning home from educational institutions or travelling to mandatory national service postings.
The political context of the incident is significant. The 2027 general elections are less than four months away, and security has emerged as a central issue in the campaign. President Bola Tinubu is seeking a second term on the All Progressives Congress platform, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement are among the major challengers. The President has cited the operationalisation of new Army formations in several states, including Zamfara, Kebbi, Oyo and Osun, as evidence of his administration’s commitment to strengthening security, and the National Peace Committee has warned against inflammatory campaigns as the elections approach.
For the families of the passengers still in captivity, the conflicting reports offer little comfort. The identity of the abducted passengers, the exact number, and their current location remain unverified by police or other credible authorities. The college has assured parents that its students are safe, but the fate of Halima Sokeni and the other passengers on the bus remains unknown. The coming days will determine whether the police can confirm the details of the incident, identify those responsible, and secure the release of the victims. Until then, the conflicting accounts will continue to circulate, and the families of the missing will continue to wait for answers.
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