Tragedy on the Road to Yola: Six Nigerian Law School Students Kidnapped, ₦120 Million Ransom Demanded

What began as a routine journey turned into a nightmare when six Nigerian Law School students, en route to the Yola campus, were abducted by armed kidnappers in Benue State last week. The shocking incident, which only came to light publicly on July 29, has sent shockwaves through student communities, legal institutions, and the nation at large. The gunmen, whose identities remain unknown, reportedly intercepted the students’ vehicle on the highway and whisked them away to an undisclosed location. Within days, they issued a chilling ransom demand — ₦20 million per student, totaling ₦120 million — for their safe release. In voice notes and leaked WhatsApp messages circulating among Nigerian Law School students, classmates of the victims confirmed that the kidnappers boasted about intentionally targeting “big men’s children.” This disturbing statement has further intensified the outrage, highlighting the increasingly brazen and class-conscious nature of recent abductions. Parents and guardians are said to be in anguish, scrambling for funds amid rising insecurity nationwide. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Law School authorities have not issued an official statement as of the time of this report, leaving students feeling abandoned and exposed. This tragic event has reignited the conversation around student safety, particularly for those pursuing education across Nigeria’s most volatile routes. It has also launched a viral social media movement under the hashtag #JusticeForStudents, as netizens call on the government to swiftly secure the release of the abducted students and bring the perpetrators to justice. For a nation where the road to education is already paved with hardship, this kidnapping is more than a security breach — it’s a brutal reminder of the growing risks students face just to learn. In the words of one anonymous Law School student, “We study the law by day and fear for our lives by night. Who will defend the defenders?” Authorities are being urged to respond with urgency, not just to rescue the kidnapped students, but to overhaul a system that allows young, ambitious lives to be preyed upon with such impunity.