The tragic events at Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) have cast a dark shadow over the institution and its community. In a harrowing incident, two first-year students were brutally murdered by their kidnappers, highlighting the grave insecurity challenges plaguing Nigeria’s educational institutions.
James Michael Anajuwe, an Information Technology freshman, and Musa Hussein, a Software Engineering freshman, were among those abducted on May 9, 2024, during a violent incursion by armed men into their university. While security forces, bolstered by local hunters, managed to rescue 20 of the abducted students, Anajuwe and Hussein were not as fortunate. Reports from thepaan suggest that their murders were retaliatory acts by the kidnappers, who sought vengeance for the losses they sustained during the rescue mission.
This chilling act of violence has drawn widespread condemnation, particularly from Education For All (E4A), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to promoting educational access and safety. In a statement issued in Lokoja and signed by the NGO’s Publicity Secretary, Nasir Ibrahim, E4A decried the barbarity of the kidnappers, especially in light of ongoing negotiations between the kidnappers and the students’ parents. Ibrahim described the murders as the epitome of cruelty, aimed at instilling fear in students and discouraging them from pursuing education.
The statement emphasized the cold-hearted nature of the criminals, who killed two students not among those rescued in the Kogi State Government-coordinated operation. The students were tracked to a forest in Kwara State, yet the exact details of their abduction and the subsequent trail remain unclear. This brutality, E4A argues, is a stark reminder of the need for collective action against those targeting educational institutions.
E4A expressed deep sorrow and outrage over the loss, noting that parents were engaged in delicate negotiations with the kidnappers, which had temporarily restrained security forces from taking more aggressive action to avoid jeopardizing the students’ lives. The NGO had been optimistic that these negotiations would secure the students’ release, making the news of their deaths even more devastating.
The victims, James Michael Anajuwe and Musa Hussein, were murdered in the kidnappers’ hideout in Kwara State. This tragic end, despite the concerted efforts of parents, NGOs, and the state government, underscores the persistent dangers faced by students in Nigeria. E4A has called upon the Kogi State Government to collaborate with Kwara State authorities to take decisive measures against the perpetrators, believed to be hiding in a forest near the borders of Kogi, Kwara, and Ekiti States.
The NGO also extended its condolences to the families of the deceased students, urging the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Federal Ministry of Education to redouble efforts on the Safe School Initiative. This initiative, they argue, is crucial to protecting schools nationwide and preventing such tragedies in the future.
E4A’s statement underscores the critical need for enhanced security measures in educational institutions. The organization stressed that the loss of these young lives is unacceptable and should galvanize national efforts to combat the escalating insecurity threatening the future of Nigeria’s youth. The killings of Anajuwe and Hussein, whose only crime was their pursuit of education, serve as a painful reminder of the urgent need for robust and sustained action to safeguard students and ensure that schools remain sanctuaries of learning, free from the scourge of violence and terror.
