Samuel Oche, a colleague of the 20 medical students kidnapped in Benue State, has described the trauma friends and families have endured a week after their abduction.

Terrorists abducted these students from the University of Jos and the University of Maiduguri on their way to the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students (FECAMDS) in Enugu State on August 15.

“It has been a traumatic experience for us,” were Oche’s words to EQ on Thursday as he described the feelings between families, friends and colleagues.

EQ had learnt from Oche, who is also the president of the Benue State Medical Students Association, on Saturday that some of the students were allowed to share their locations so they could contact families and friends for a N50 million ransom.

READ ALSO: In 8 Months, Kidnappers Struck Benue Highway at Least 6 Times. All Happened on Thursdays

Speaking with EQ on Thursday, Oche said that colleagues visited a Benue police station on Monday, where they were informed that the police were still making efforts to recover the students.

Since then, they have yet to get any further response from the police.

“What they told us was that the commissioner of police has led a team of experts to the scene where the incident happened because the victims were still sharing their location with us after some days,” Oche explained.

“The police told us they have deployed their technical team. They also told us that the Inspector-General of Police in Abuja has sent some persons to join forces with the Benue State Police Command.

“Ever since Monday, we have been making efforts to get a response from the police stations on how far they’ve gone, based on what they told us, but there have been none.”

READ ALSO: Terrorists Kill Abducted Sokoto Monarch Who Called FG to Save Him

Oche also told EQ that friends and family members paid an emergency visit to Samuel Ode, the deputy governor of Benue, at the state government house after leaving the police station. He said that the deputy governor pledged solidarity with them.

“He told us that he was already aware even before the information got to him, and as we were talking with him, the security agencies were also seated.

“He assured us of the state’s commitment to recover and bring back our colleagues safely, and to bring the perpetrators to justice.”

Oche also told EQ that Monday was the last time they got any word from their abducted colleagues.
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