Gunmen Kidnap 19 People, Including 5 Students of Rivers Varsity, 14 Bus Passengers in Imo
On December 2, 2025, armed assailants abducted a total of 19 people across two separate incidents in Rivers and Imo states, it was reported by authorities and media.
Abduction of Students in Rivers State
In the early hours of Tuesday, five students of Rivers State University (RSU), enrolled at the Emohua Satellite Campus, were kidnapped by suspected cult members. The students were taken at gunpoint from their off-campus residence in Emuoha, Emohua Local Government Area.
The attack reportedly happened around 2:00 a.m., when gunmen invaded the residence, killed the security dog guarding the compound, and abducted the students. One student narrowly escaped the raid after the gunmen fired at them. “He was running after me and even shot at me … I had to run faster to the gate,” the student, speaking anonymously, recounted.
Only days earlier, off-campus students had protested repeated harassment and attacks by suspected cultists, urging the university to relocate them to the main campus in Port Harcourt for safety. However, at a pre-convocation briefing on Monday, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Isaac Zeb-Obipi, dismissed calls for relocation, saying security concerns were being addressed through engagements with community leaders and security agencies.
Authorities in Rivers have confirmed the abduction and launched a manhunt. A police spokesperson, Rivers State Police Command, disclosed that tactical teams have been deployed to secure the students’ safe return.
Bus Hijacked, Passengers Abducted in Imo State
In a separate but related incident, gunmen, thought to be herders, hijacked an Aba-bound bus carrying 14 passengers in the Ngor Okpala area of Imo State on Monday evening.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants emerged from the bush, began firing sporadically, and forced control of the bus. Panic ensued as many other motorists swerved or stopped abruptly, and passengers fled on foot, some into nearby bush. “They came out of the bush and started shooting; and then kidnapped passengers in a fully loaded bus,” one source said.
This region has reportedly experienced similar attacks before. In May 2025, 18 passengers were kidnapped on the same route; weeks later, over 20 more people were abducted in a separate attack there, with at least two people killed.
The Imo State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, said the abduction had not yet been formally reported to the Command at the time of the statement. Despite that, tactical units have reportedly been deployed to carry out patrols along the Owerri, Aba Express Road for fact-finding and potential rescue efforts.
Rising Alarm Over Insecurity
These twin kidnappings, targeting tertiary-education students and ordinary bus passengers, underscore growing concerns about security in both southern and southeastern Nigeria. The incidents also come amid broader national debates over how to curb violent criminal activity across the country.
As of now, no group has publicly claimed responsibility for the attacks. Security agencies in both Rivers and Imo states say tactical operations are underway to locate the abductees and bring the perpetrators to justice.