Nigeria’s escalating security crisis witnessed a grim intensification yesterday, with no fewer than 19 individuals including five students from Rivers State University (RSU) kidnapped in separate, coordinated attacks across Rivers and Imo states.
The dramatic spike in insecurity came as President Bola Tinubu moved to reshuffle his security architecture, nominating the immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, as the new Minister of Defence following the resignation of Abubakar Badaru late Monday. The President also convened a high-level meeting with security chiefs to address the deteriorating situation nationwide.
Students Seized in Rivers Campus Raid
In the Rivers State attack, five students of the Rivers State University (RSU) Emohua Satellite Campus were abducted in the early hours of yesterday by gunmen suspected to be cult members.
The victims were forcibly taken at gunpoint from their off-campus residence in Emuoha, Emohua Local Government Area. The incident occurred barely 24 hours after the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, dismissed calls to close the satellite campus or relocate students, assuring stakeholders that the management was engaging with community leaders and security agencies to address threats.
A student who narrowly escaped the abduction provided a harrowing eyewitness account, describing how the attackers invaded their residence around 2 am, shooting a security dog before proceeding to seize the students.
“He was running after me and even shot at me, I don’t know how many times. I couldn’t look back because I was focused on escaping,” the anonymous student recounted. “Someone from the bush then ran after me. I had to run faster to the gate. Some of our students, about four or so, are missing now.”
The Rivers State Police Command spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and the cultist involvement, stating: “They were abducted by cultists… We have put efforts in place for their safe rescue. As I speak, the commissioner of police has gone there with tactical teams to ensure they regain their freedom.”
Bus Hijacked, 14 Passengers Kidnapped in Imo
Simultaneously, the Owerri-Aba axis in Imo State became a flashpoint for banditry when gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, hijacked an Aba-bound bus on Monday evening in the Ngor Okpala area, abducting all 14 passengers on board.
Eyewitnesses reported widespread pandemonium after the gunmen emerged from the bush, firing shots before commandeering the fully loaded commercial vehicle. This stretch of road has repeatedly been targeted, with similar mass abductions recorded in May and the subsequent weeks of 2025.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Henry Okoye, acknowledged the volatility of the area but stated the incident had not yet been formally reported to the command. He confirmed that tactical units have been deployed along the Owerri–Aba Express Road for “robust fact-finding patrols.”
Federal Government Response
The escalating violence has triggered swift action at the federal level. Following the resignation of former Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, President Tinubu nominated former CDS General Christopher Musa to fill the critical post. The President also held a crucial meeting with his security chiefs to review counter-insurgency and anti-kidnapping strategies.
Further underscoring the severity of the crisis, the House of Representatives has called on the federal government to immediately identify and bring to justice the perpetrators responsible for the killing of five police officers in Bauchi community last week, signaling a unified demand for action against lawlessness across the country.
