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John Azi, a graduate of Early Childhood Education at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), has been kidnapped.
Joseph Azi, the victim’s elder brother, shared the development with TheCable on Tuesday.
He said the incident occurred on Saturday while his brother was on his way to Zaria, Kaduna state.
According to him, the abductors initially demanded N30 million, before reducing the sum to N5 million with other sensitive items the family does not want to disclose.
“He’s my younger brother. On Saturday, he was on his way to Zaria in Kaduna for work, only for us to later receive a call notifying us that he had been kidnapped,” Azi said.
He said since leaving school, his brother has been working as a sound system engineer.
Azi said the family had to contact certain individuals to solicit funds online after the kidnappers sent them a video in which they beat his brother mercilessly.
When asked whether the matter had been reported to security agencies, Azi declined to give details.
“These are very sensitive information we won’t like to reveal. But we are making efforts. I won’t want to say more than that,” he said.
However, the university management said it is yet to confirm the identity and status of the victim amid conflicting reports.
Speaking to TheCable, Emmanuel Madugu, the institution’s deputy registrar for information and public relations, said the university is still verifying key details, including whether the victim is a graduate or an undergraduate.
“We are also trying to verify the incident. The information we are getting is conflicting. Some people are saying he has graduated. Some are saying he is 200-level,” he said.
Madugu added that the university has received varying accounts about the circumstances surrounding the incident, including discrepancies about the victim’s movement and identity.
“Some people said a video was shared on his coursemates’ social media platform… some people were saying the student was going to Kaduna along with seven other persons. Some are saying he is coming to Jos. That’s why we are taking our time to be sure,” he said, noting that the institution would issue a formal statement once details are confirmed.
The Plateau state police command also said it is yet to receive an official report on the incident.
Alfred Alabo, the police spokesperson, said although the command is aware of circulating reports, it cannot act without a formal complaint.
“We have not gotten that report yet. I am not aware of any report of such, though we have been seeing it. When we get a report, then we can say something about it,” he said.
Alabo cautioned against relying on unverified online content, noting that old videos are sometimes recycled during crises.
“Mind you, when crisis just happened, you see people recycling videos. So, we have to investigate it to be sure it’s not an old video,” he added.
Similarly, the Kaduna state police command said it requires precise details to verify the incident.
“Kaduna is big, so it is when you tell us the location, that we will be able to find out and give you details. Without the location, even we too cannot find out some things. So, get the location,” Mansir Hassan, spokesperson for the command, told TheCable.
As of the time of filing this report, the police and university are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
