Bandits Kidnap UNIJOS Student, Circulate Brutal Video, Demand ₦30m

Bandits Kidnap UNIJOS Student, Circulate Brutal Video, Demand ₦30m

A student of the University of Jos, John Arum Azi, has been abducted by armed bandits along the Jos–Zaria highway while travelling from Plateau State to Kaduna State, with the attackers later demanding a ₦30 million ransom for his release.

The 28-year-old keyboard technician was reportedly kidnapped alongside six other passengers en route to Zaria in Kaduna State. Sources said Azi was travelling after being invited by a client to repair a musical keyboard when the vehicle conveying them was intercepted by armed men.

Eyewitness accounts indicate that the attackers forced all passengers into the bush before moving them to an undisclosed location. A distressing video later circulated on social media showed Azi being violently assaulted by his captors, who used sticks and other objects to beat him while recording the act.

In the viral clip, the kidnappers reportedly forced the victim to kneel and plead with his family to urgently meet their ransom demand. The video was allegedly recorded using the victim’s phone and shared in a WhatsApp group linked to his classmates, further heightening panic among students.

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The kidnappers are demanding ₦30 million for his release, with negotiations said to be ongoing through unspecified channels. The fate of the other abducted passengers remains unclear at this time.

The incident has intensified concerns over rising kidnapping cases along Nigeria’s highways, particularly in the North-West and North-Central corridors, which have witnessed frequent attacks by armed groups in recent years.

As of the time of filing this report, the Kaduna State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the abduction. Security agencies are expected to launch or intensify search-and-rescue operations to track the victims and apprehend the perpetrators.

The case adds to growing calls for improved security along interstate travel routes, especially the busy Jos–Kaduna–Zaria axis, which has become a recurring hotspot for kidnappings.

Bandits Kidnap UNIJOS Student, Circulate Brutal Video, Demand ₦30m