Kogi kidnap; No CUSTECH student kidnapped — Management.
Israel Omakoji Lokoja
As the late Sunday evening kidnapped of four persons from the Living Faith Church Osara in kogi state has continued to generate controversy ,the Management of the newly established Confluence University of Science and Technology, (CUSTECH), Osara in Kogi state has stated that no students of the institution was involved in the abduction as alleged by some media outfits.
In a statement signed by Balogun Omeiza David, Public Relations Officer of
CUSTECH and made available to Independent said the purported news was not the true reflection of the incidence hinting that the said students were those of the Kogi state polytechnic Itakpe who had gone on night voice practice.
Omeiza called on media practionners to always ensure strick adherence to the ethics of their profession by ensuring that deligent investigation is carried out before going to press.
“For the past two days, different news blogs have written errorneously without proper investigation on the kidnapping that actually took place on Sunday 29th August, 2021 at Osara the community serving as host to the newly founded Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara.
He maintained that the news targeted at damaging the image of the institution that some media houses have allowed to filter through them to the general public is uncalled for, saying that the same have also shown how bad and unprofessional some reporters are to their media organizations.
“Without mincing words, there was actually a kidnapping case on Sunday 29th August at Osara, Adavi Local Government Area, Kogi State around 7:30 p.m. A staff of CUSTECH working with the ICT department by name Joseph Arome Simeon was kidnapped alongside two female students of Kogi State Polytechnic, Itakpe Campus.
“From the details made available to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Salawu Sadiku and the Information Unit of CUSTECH, the trio had gone to the Living Faith Church located in the outskirt of Osara for a voice training session only for them to be kidnapped around 7:30 p.m. on that fateful day.
“Further reports made available by the security agents said the kidnappers shot sporadically into the thin air before they finally abducted their victims from the Living Faith Church, Osara.
“The general public should be well informed that no student of CUSTECH, Osara was kidnapped as wrongly reported and shared widely by other news blogs.
“Also, the two female students that were kidnapped are of the neighbouring Kogi State Polytechnic, Itakpe Campus. The male staff of CUSTECH, Osara that was kidnapped is a Data Analyst and not a lecturer as wrongly reported.
“It is also of great importance for the general public to know that the Management of CUSTECH, the Security Unit and the Public Relations Unit are working hand-in-hand with security agents who are already on top of the matter.
“CUSTECH is a science and technology oriented higher institution bent on raising students that will help advance the course of technology in Nigeria and the world at large.
“The public should therefore not fret over any issue of insecurity as the Ivory tower is on a daily basis making frantic efforts to secure the students and staff under her care.
