Leaders of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council (JCC) Lagos, have raised alarm over growing insecurity on federal highways after narrowly escaping a suspected kidnap ambush near the Ilesa axis while travelling to a zonal convention.
In a statement issued Tuesday by its Public Relations Officer, Ridwan Ajayi, the student body said the delegation was en route to the NANS South-West Zone D Convention at Ekiti State University when the incident occurred late on February 13, 2026.
According to the statement, the group departed Lagos on official assignment but experienced a mechanical fault that delayed their journey by about two hours, placing them near the Ilesa stretch of highway close to midnight — an area reportedly notorious for kidnappings and violent attacks.
The students alleged that suspected kidnappers, who had concealed themselves in nearby bushes, launched what they described as a coordinated ambush.
“Suddenly, blinding torchlights flashed directly in front of our vehicle, compelling us to slow down. Within seconds, armed men emerged and boxed us in,” the statement read.
The group credited their driver’s quick thinking for their escape.
“In what can only be described as a split-second decision between captivity and survival, our driver reversed toward the attackers and created just enough space to break free,” they said.
The students claimed the attackers continued operating on the highway for hours without security intervention.
They reported witnessing the aftermath of another suspected abduction around 4:00 a.m., when an empty bus was spotted in a nearby bush, suggesting its occupants may have been taken.
NANS JCC Lagos described the incident as evidence of a “glaring and unacceptable collapse” in intelligence gathering, highway patrol, and rapid response systems.
The association held police authorities accountable and demanded urgent measures to secure flashpoints such as the Ilesa axis and other major federal corridors.
The group warned that failure to act decisively could trigger nationwide student mobilisation to demand improved security for travellers.
The incident adds to mounting concerns over highway criminality across Nigeria, with reports of kidnappings and armed attacks continuing to plague key transport routes.
