The Kwara State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) announced on Monday the rescue of a 19-year-old student of Abubakar Audu University, Ayangba, Kogi State, who was reportedly abducted and later abandoned in Ilorin.

The victim, identified as Fauziyah Muhammed, a 400-level English Education student, was said to have been kidnapped in Ayangba on Sunday morning. Reports allege she was hypnotized and subsequently dumped in the Ajegunle-Isale area along Egbejila Road in Ilorin, where she was found wandering unclothed.

The NSCDC Commandant in Kwara, Dr. Umar Muhammed, confirmed the incident during a press briefing. He noted that the student was rescued with the assistance of concerned residents on Monday morning.

The incident, which occurred between 9 am and 10 am on Sunday, has raised concerns about the safety of students in the region.

The commandant said that “Fauziyah was wandering about the community naked” adding that the residents seized and handed her over to the NSCDC officer, Afolayan, who later mustered the command’s support.

He said, “Fauziyah is no longer coherent in speech, suggesting her horrible experiences while with the kidnappers.

“She was found naked while some Good Samaritans in Ajegunle Isale, Egbejila Road, Ilorin provided her with clothes and we as a command have tried to comfort her.

“We have briefed Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq about her plight and the governor being a father has promised to assist us with fuel to return her to Kogi tomorrow,” he added.

During an interview, Fauziyah said she did not know how she got to Kwara State from Kögi State, but recalled: “One of the books I carried dropped and as I made to pick it, I lost consciousness.”

The commandant said that the command was set to release her to one Mallam Salihu Aliu who claimed to be her uncle and was delegated by the family to act on their behalf.

In another development, the command also paraded one Abu Usman Soja suspected to be an informant to some kidnappers who abducted three people including a woman and her two children in Ajase-Ipo, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The NSCDC said that the kidnappers, now on the run, abducted the woman and her two children on November 7, 2024, and placed a ransom of N50m for their release.

According to the commandant, “The kidnappers demanded N50m ransom but later reduced it to N15m. The mother has been released while the kidnappers have escaped into the forest with the children.”