UPDATED: Sokoto govt, College deny abduction of 18 health students

The Sokoto State Government and the management of Gamji College of Health Technology have denied reports that 18 students of the institution were abducted by suspected terrorists while travelling to Oyo State.

The clarification followed a report published by Sahara Reporters on Monday, alleging that the students were travelling in a chartered bus from Sokoto to Oyo State when they were attacked, resulting in their abduction and the reported killing of the driver.

However, the Sokoto State Government said no student of Gamji College of Health Technology was involved in any such incident.

In a statement issued by the Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto, Abubakar Bawa, the government described the report as false and urged the public to disregard it.

“The Sokoto State Government wishes to categorically state that no student of Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto, was abducted by suspected terrorists,” Bawa said.

He explained that 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.

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According to him, Sokeni was travelling home on Thursday, October 1, when she and other passengers were abducted in Niger State.

The government therefore appealed to media organisations and journalists to verify information before publication in order to prevent the spread of false and alarming reports.

Similarly, the management of Gamji College of Health Technology dismissed the report, assuring parents and the public that its students were safe.

The college, through its Registrar, Bello Abdulrahman, said the 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 management said.

It added that the students were “safe, sound and currently in their various destinations, pursuing their academic and professional programmes as planned.”

The institution urged parents, guardians and other stakeholders to disregard the report and desist from further circulating it.

It also reaffirmed its commitment to the safety and welfare of its students, saying it would continue to collaborate with relevant security agencies to maintain a safe environment for learning and professional training.

The separate clarifications by the government and the college effectively refuted the reported abduction of 18 students of the institution, while the government maintained that the actual victim, Sokeni, was among passengers abducted in Niger State.