Kidnapped Student Freed

Less than twenty four hours after reporting the abduction of  Moses Kuma, a final year student at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State  allegedly  kidnapped by some suspected PDP members that led to the barricading  of the Makurdi-Enugu highway, the young man has been found.

Moses who is popularly called Mozino by his peers, an Industrial Physics final year student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, was discovered at the North Bank bridge head at about 1 am Monday.

Narrating his ordeal to journalists in the office of the State Police Commissioner Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed, Kuma alleged that some hefty men led by Governor Suswamâ€s aide on Youth Matters Mr. Terfa Akem stormed his house at Yakyo in the wee hours of Saturday compelling him to explain to them what he meant by the consistent ‘change†he has been preaching in his songs and also pictured in some of his cartoons.

According to him, “they took my cartoons, laptops and ransacked the entire house. Afterwards, they blindfolded and drove me away in-between which they changed cars. I had no idea where they were taking me to but I only found myself at the bridge head at about 1 a.m. Monday.”.

Moses further said he managed to make contacts with some members of his community through a kind person who narrated to him how the entire town was thrown into confusion with some persons shot dead and other seriously injured while protesting his kidnap.

He claimed that the abductors did not manhandle him but only gave him water and small quantity of food.

“Though one of them had suggested that I should be shot, the others declined insisting that it was not the instruction given to them,” Moses said.

The cartoonist who broke down in tears, expressed appreciation to all those who made frantic efforts to ensure that he regained his freedom.

“The entire community went into a frenzy  when I returned home unharmed. I have no parents. The women and old men around my area are like my mothers and fathers and they jubilated wildly at my safe return,” he said.

In the meantime, the State Police Commissioner, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed has confirmed that 36  persons have been arrested in connection with the fracas that happened after Moses was kidnapped.

He said the suspects  would be arraigned in court after investigation had been concluded.

Mohammed who  denied that two  persons were shot dead and others hospitalised after sustaining gunshot wounds, however, revealed that his command was fully ready for the April polls.

—Ubong Udoh/Makurdi