Bandits demand ₦30m over kidnapped UNIJOS student

By Florencemary Nwabueze

A wave of fear and outrage has gripped Nigerians following the emergence of a disturbing video showing a kidnapped student of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), identified as John Arum.

According to reports, the student was abducted by armed bandits while travelling along the Kaduna–Jos highway, a route that has increasingly gained notoriety for insecurity and kidnappings. The kidnappers are reportedly demanding a ransom of ₦30 million for his release.

The situation took a more alarming turn when the abductors allegedly used the victim’s phone to record videos of him being tortured and shared the footage in his class group chat.

The video, which has since circulated online, shows the student in distress, pleading for his life while being subjected to physical abuse.

A fellow student, Ezikima Asunga, confirmed the incident in a message shared publicly. He stated that the victim was his coursemate and raised concerns that the student’s family might not be aware of the kidnapping, as there has been no direct line of communication with them.

The footage has triggered widespread condemnation, with many Nigerians expressing anger over the continued deterioration of security across the country. Social media users have also pointed out that the kidnappers were not masked, raising questions about the possibility of identifying and apprehending them.

Public reactions have been intense, with citizens calling on security agencies, including the police and military, to act swiftly to rescue the victim and bring the perpetrators to justice. Many have also decried the increasing frequency of such incidents, describing the situation as a national emergency.

“He was kidnapped on his way to Kaduna from Jos. His captors are torturing him severely and using his phone to send pictures and videos to his class group. When asked if he’s a Christian, he denied it, hoping to save himself from pain, but the torture only got worse. He started calling on Jesus, which made his captors mock him and Jesus”.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from security authorities regarding the incident or any ongoing rescue efforts.