Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, has attributed the Thursday abduction of students of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, in the state to what he described as internal sabotage.

He said preliminary investigation revealed that the entire CCTV cameras installed in the school were switched off during the attack.

He, however, vowed to secure the safe return of students abducted during the attack.

Ododo made this known when he visited the university campus for an assessment of the security situation in the wake of the security breach on the campus that led to the abduction of the students.

He assured all that every necessary step, including non-kinetic measures has been activated to ensure the safe return of the abducted students.

While assuring members of the university community of efforts by the government to improve the existing security architecture on the campus, Ododo promised that he would do whatever it takes to return all the abducted students back to the university and to reunite them with their families and friends.

“It is our duty as a government to protect lives and property in all parts of the state. We are prepared to protect the students and that is why we allowed the students to stay on the campus.

“We installed CCTV cameras in all the classrooms and the entire perimeter of the university campus. Yet on the day of the attack, our investigation so far revealed that all the cameras were switched off and this can only be attributed to sabotage by internal collaborators.

“Our security agencies are on their heels and the investigation is ongoing. All our students shall return safely and the perpetrators shall be brought to book,” the governor assured.

Speaking further on the ongoing rescue efforts, Ododo disclosed that there will be regular reviews of the operation as more facts emerge from the investigation.

He stated, “I am here to see things myself; to assess the situation and also to review the ongoing operation that will ensure the safe return of the students to the school. What is most important now is how to rescue our students unhurt.

“We have the right information at our disposal but we can’t put all that out in the media. I want the parents and students to be calm as we are making a concerted effort to secure the return of the students.”

He commended the security agencies for their gallantry in minimizing the impact of the attack by preventing the attackers from gaining access to the university hotels, stressing that nothing would be spared to bring back the students and to prevent a repeat of such an unfortunate attack on the university campus and elsewhere in the state.

On Thursday night, some gunmen invaded the campus and abducted several students and staff. (The PUNCH)

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