The police have confirmed the abduction of three female students of the Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Otuogidi, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State by unidentified gunmen.
The final year students of Environmental Department were seized by their assailants at about 11 am on Monday and taken to an unknown place.
Sources said the students were walking along the School Road to their hostel when some men rounded up close to the Ogbia market.
One of the sources, who spoke in confidence, said the incident happened close to the scene where some policemen were ambushed and killed by gunmen prior to the concluded governorship poll in the state.
She said: “The girls were walking to their hostel from school when some men appeared from the bush and accosted them. They seized them and took them to an unknown place. They must have been armed. They took the girls across the river”.
The source said students on campus were worried about the development especially about the motive behind the abduction.
“The landlady of one of the abducted students came to the campus with a pair of the girl’s sandals. We saw her crying and appealing to the school authority to rescue the victims”, she said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Butswat Asinim identified the students as Jennifer Solomon Ebefini, Lucky-Ere Germany and Deborah Doctor.
He said: “At about 1120 hours, three female students namely; Jennifer Solomon Ebefini ‘f’, Lucky-Ere Germany ‘f’ and Deborah Doctor ‘f’ of Environmental Health Department of College of Health Technology Otuogidi, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, were kidnapped at gunpoint by unknown gunmen, along the College of Health Technology Road, Otuogidi.
“Police were alerted, a search of the area was conducted and a 9 Horsepower Engine boat containing some foodstuffs and other items used by the kidnappers were recovered.
“The entire surrounding area was cordoned off and a Joint Patrol is ongoing to rescue the victims and arrest the kidnappers.
“The command hereby appeals to the students of the college to be calm as efforts are intensified to rescue the victims and protect the student community”.
