Prosper Okoye
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in Lagos says a group of its leaders narrowly avoided being kidnapped during a late-night journey to a student convention in south-west Nigeria.
In a statement on Tuesday, the NANS Joint Campus Council in Lagos said the delegation was travelling to a zonal meeting at Ekiti State University when their vehicle ran into what it described as an organised ambush near the town of Ilesa in Osun State.
According to the group’s spokesman, Ridwan Ajayi, the students had left Lagos on Friday but were delayed by a mechanical fault, reaching the Ilesa area close to midnight — a stretch of road that has seen a series of kidnappings in recent months.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelHe said attackers hiding in roadside bushes suddenly shone bright lights at the vehicle and moved in to block it.
“Our driver suddenly reversed, forcing the attackers to move aside and creating enough space for the vehicle to escape, the statement said, adding that the attackers briefly chased the car on foot before giving up.
The students say that even after they fled, the road remained under the control of the armed group for hours, with other motorists believed to have been abducted.
They said no security personnel were seen during the incident and described finding an abandoned bus in nearby bushes at around 04:00 local time, which they believe had been attacked earlier.
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NANS blamed what it called a “collapse of security” on federal highways and accused the police leadership of failing to protect travellers.
“This is not just an isolated incident,” the group said. “Armed criminals are able to dominate major roads for hours without resistance.”
The students called on the authorities to increase patrols and surveillance on major routes, warning that they would organise protests if urgent action was not taken.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
