Sokoto Government, College Reject Report That 18 Students Were Abducted
Sokoto State Government and Gamji College authorities have rejected reports that 18 current students of the institution were abducted, saying the actual security incident involved a former student who was reportedly among passengers kidnapped in Niger State.
The clarification followed reports alleging that 18 students of Gamji College of Health Technology in Sokoto had been abducted.
College Registrar Bello Abdulrahman said none of the institution’s current students was abducted and that the students were safe at their destinations.
Sokoto State Government issued a similar clarification rejecting the 18-student account.
The government identified Halima Sokeni as a former student who completed her midwifery programme in September 2026.
According to the state government, Sokeni and other passengers were reportedly abducted while travelling home on October 1 in Niger State.
That account remains attributed to the Sokoto State Government pending fuller confirmation from Niger Police or another primary security authority.
The number and identities of the other passengers have not been established in the active story file.
Claims that a driver was killed, that ransom was demanded or paid, or that specific kidnappers were responsible also remain unverified and are excluded from this report.
The distinction is central: authorities have rejected the claim that 18 current students were abducted, but the separate reported kidnapping involving a former student remains a live security matter.
For the public, the immediate questions are what happened to the former student and other passengers, how many people were involved, and whether security agencies have made progress toward locating them.
The correction closes one claim; it does not resolve the separate abduction report.
IDNN will update this report if Niger Police confirms the incident, provides a verified passenger count, announces rescue developments or clarifies the status of those reportedly abducted.
