UNN Professor escapes kidnappers in Police-led rescue operation

Professor Oguejiofo Ujam, Dean of the School of General Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), narrowly escaped a kidnapping attempt during a police intervention, according to an official statement by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, spokesperson for the Enugu State Police Command.

The incident occurred on Monday, October 28, 2024, around 7:10 p.m., when operatives from the Unity Police Division intercepted a kidnapping attempt along the Neke-Uno section of the Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road. In the midst of the operation, Prof. Ujam managed to break free from his captors.

After a heated exchange of gunfire, the kidnappers fled the scene, leaving behind an AK-47 rifle, two magazines loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition, and a belt containing 39 live rounds.

“Further operations to hunt down the fleeing suspects the same night led to a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, reportedly kidnapped on October 26, 2024, escaping from his abductors’ custody,” the statement read.

The police also addressed rumors circulating online, clarifying that no Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer traveling from Benue State was abducted along the route.

“The Command refutes viral reports alleging the kidnapping of a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer traveling from Benue State along this route, clarifying that no such incident has been recorded anywhere in Enugu State,” Ndukwe emphasized.

He dismissed claims that the Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road is unsafe, describing such reports as “scaremongering.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, has ordered the deployment of additional personnel to reinforce “overt and covert operations” along the affected route, ensuring the safety of travelers.