Speaking while handing over the students to their Vice-Chancellors in Abuja on Sunday, Egbetokun added that the arrested suspects were in custody.

The 20 medical students were on August 15 abducted in Benue while on transit to Enugu, by the criminal gang.

Egbetokun said the students, five other passengers and two other victims who were already in the captivity of the kidnappers were on August 22 rescued following successful operation by the Nigeria Police.

He said the successful rescue of the 27 individuals was achieved without the payment of any ransom.

“I am pleased to inform you that the kingpin of this notorious gang was neutralised during an exchange of fire with our operatives.

“Two other members of the gang were arrested, with their weapons recovered.

“These individuals are currently in our custody where they are providing valuable information that will help in dismantling their criminal network and prevent future occurrences of such abductions,” he said.

He said the rescue operation was painstakingly difficult and complex, requiring not only deployment of massive resources, but also physical courage, meticulous planning and coordination.

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“In this regard, I must extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) whose support was instrumental in this operation.

“I must place on record, the personal commitment of the NSA, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to the success of the operation that led to the successful rescue of the victims.

“I also wish to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of other security agencies who partnered with us, as well as the local vigilantes who played a crucial role in ensuring the success of the mission,” he said.

The I-G said the successful rescue of the victims was a demonstration of what could be achieved through teamwork for a common goal.

In their remarks, the vice-chancellors of the two universities commended the Nigeria Police and other security agencies for the successful rescue of the students unhurt and without payment of ransom.

Prof Tanko Ishaya, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos said the university management had concluded plans to work on the trauma associated with kidnap in the lives of the students.

Source: NAN

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A statement from the Kafanchan Diocese of the Catholic Church, said that Ishaya, who was kidnapped from the Parish Rectory, was released Saturday morning.

“On behalf of the Bishop and the Catechetical Commission, we give thanks to God and sincerely appreciate all for your prayers and support,” the statement signed by Fr. Emmanuel Okolo, Chancellor of the Diocese, said.

The statement did not indicate if any ransom was paid, but a source from the Church said that an unspecified amount was paid.

“The captors initially asked for N5 million but we discussed with them,” the source said.

Gunmen on Thursday abducted Ishaya when they could not get his boss, Rev Fr Joseph Shekari, who was not in when his residence was attacked.

Fr Shekari, who was abducted in similar circumstances in February 2022, had travelled out of the village and was not available for a second ordeal in captivity.

The Parish had held its annual thanksgiving service on Sunday and its members suspect the abductors were targeting the proceeds having succeeded in carting away what was generated in February 2022.

Mr Sunday Bage, Chairman of Ikulu Zone of the Parish, said that the abductors came “around 9.30 p.m.”

“Thank God Father (Reverend) travelled. They didn’t get him, but they picked our Catechist.

“They dragged the Catechist to the bush. They took him with his phone,” he said.

He stated that the gunmen were many and kept shooting sporadically, moving through the church, the school and the priest’s residence in search of the Rev. Father.

Neighbours said that the gunmen broke into the residence of the priest after scaling the fence.

They were said to have broken the main door to the house using stones and bullets.

“Immediately they broke into the house, they searched and ransacked everywhere.

“They checked under the beds, wardrobes, bathrooms and kitchen.

“They even checked the ceiling, but Father had travelled. So, they did not get him.

“In anger, they took our Catechist. As we speak, he is with them in the bush.

“It is a very sad situation. This is devastating. They dragged Catechist on the ground like a dog,” a visibly fear-stricken woman had said.

She recalled that it was not long ago that Fr Shekari was abducted and was rescued after “a huge ransom” was paid.

“They came again to take him. Luckily, he wasn’t in. This is really a dark period for us,” he said.

Rev. Fr. Shekari was kidnapped by gunmen in February 2022.

During the February attack, his cook, Sati Musa, was shot dead by the gunmen while trying to protect his master.

A church elder, Mr Yohanna Madaki, while speaking on the February incident, had noted that the abductors apparently targeted the more than N2 million realised from the annual thanksgiving service same day.

Church sources indicated that the money was taken along with the priest, while the murdered cook was a student of Government Secondary School, Kizakoro.

Source: NAN

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Dr Godiya Ishaya, the National President of NARD, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja.

Ishaya said that the association reviewed its position due to the commitment the government was showing in implementing its demands.

He said that if the government met all demands within six weeks, the association would review the suspension and end the strike.

“We did not call off the strike but suspended it for six weeks to give room for the government to do the needful.

“If the government does what is required of it, we will review the suspension in six weeks and decide on what steps to take next.

“The agreement between NARD and the FG was signed early this year, it is the issue of implementation that led us to the strike.

“We agreed to suspend the strike because we saw that the government was beginning to show commitment.”

Ishaya said that the government’s commitment pushed the association to hold an emergency National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting to review its stand.

According to the NARD president, when you are on the negotiating table, you have to shift some ground; when you see that the other party is ready to shift their ground, you reconsider.

He recalled that when the strike commenced, the government had insisted on its position of taking the association to court but it reconsidered and tried to negotiate with the association.

“The government extended its goodwill to the association,” Ishaya said.

He said that since the government decided to shift grounds by making tangible efforts to meet the association’s demands, the association had also decided to reciprocate by suspending the strike.

He said that the suspension would also give the association time to monitor the government’s implementation of its demands.

“Our decision is in line with any system of negotiation where if the other party shifts grounds, you also should shift grounds; that is the reason we held an emergency congress meeting and decided on the suspension.

“The suspension was decided upon even though many members did not agree with it. By suspending the strike, the association is putting the government on trial again just as we have always done.

“This will allow us to see if the government will keep to its promise. We have considered that we have masses in our midst who cannot afford to travel abroad for medical tourism and do not have the means to go to private hospitals.

“These individuals are the ones bearing the brunt of the strike hence the need to suspend the strike to enable them to access health services.”

Ishaya urged all resident doctors to resume work trusting that the leadership of the association will do all it can to ensure that the government implements the agreement signed with the association.

He said that the implementation of the association’s demands by the federal government would be monitored to the latter in the coming weeks.

“We do not like going on strike because we have been trained to care for people medically and we should be seen to be doing that.

“It is in that light that we also agreed to suspend the strike while reviewing the government’s response.

The NARD strike began on August 1.

Some of the demands made by NARD include immediate salary payment to all house officers and an upward review of the current hazard allowance to 50 per cent of consolidated salaries of all health workers.

Other demands are payment of outstanding COVID-19 allowance and payment of death in service insurance for all health workers, who died as a result of COVID-19 infection, or other infectious diseases in the country.

NARD also insists that salary shortfalls of 2014, 2015, and 2016, owed members in state and federal health institutions be paid.

Since the commencement of the strike by the resident doctors, healthcare delivery in state and federal public health facilities has remained epileptic with only consultants and National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, doctors available in most facilities to cater to the health needs of the public.

Source: NAN

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