The authorities of the University of Abuja yesterday said the report of kidnap of one of its students as reported in some national dailies is complete falsehood.
A newspaper report said the armed bandits invaded the university on Thursday and abducted one Theresa, the daughter of Rep Christopher Benewari and demanded N100million ransom.
Suleiman Mohammed, the Dean, Student Affairs of the university, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gwagwalada in FCT that the report was misleading and embarrassing.
“We have not received any formal report on the kidnapping. We only read about it in the newspapers, but definitely no such development occurred on our campus,’’ he said.
He said the authorities had investigated the kidnap story and discovered that the said kidnapped Theresa was not registered with the institution and lived off campus.
“You see, it’s difficult to establish her status in the campus, as she stays in town. We wish to appeal to the public to avoid spreading unconfirmed stories,’’ Mohammed said.
Mohammed said the institution had mapped out strategies to ensure the safety of the students and members of staff on campus.
The Dean, however, appealed to the students and residents to report any suspicious person to the university authorities or the police.
Meanwhile, the Police Command in FCT has said that it was investigating the kidnap story.
Jimoh Moshood, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in FCT command, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja yesterday that it received the report of the kidnap three hours after it allegedly occurred on Thursday.
He said the police had made serious progress in its investigation on the matter, saying: “the command will put everything in place to check the activities of kidnappers in the FCT.
“Kidnapping is very strange in Abuja as it does not happen here,’’ he added.
When contacted through the phone, Rep Benewari said he would call back. No call came through up to the time of filing this report.