World
Nigeria police working to secure release of 20 kidnapped medical students
Nigerian Medical Association says students from universities of Jos and Maiduguri were taken while travelling in Benue State.
Nigerian police and security agencies are working to secure the release of 20 medical students who were kidnapped in the eastern part of the country, officials say.
The medical students were on their way to an annual convention when they were abducted in Benue State on Thursday evening, police and university sources said on Saturday.
The Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students said in a statement that the students were travelling to the convention in the city of Enugu when they were taken.
Fortune Olaye, the secretary-general of the Nigerian Medical Students’ Association, said 20 medical students from two universities, as well as one doctor travelling with them, had been kidnapped.
It added that there had been a ransom demand in return for their release.
In a Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) letter to the inspector general of police, posted on the social media platform X, NMA secretary-general Benjamin Egbo said 12 of the abducted students were from the University of Jos and eight were from the University of Maiduguri.
One of the students managed to share their location, indicating that they were in the Oglewu Ehaje area in Benue State, the letter said.
“The Nigerian Medical Association is deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of these future medical professionals,” it added, saying that swift and decisive action to secure their return was “crucial”.
We will not rest until our dear students have been rescued, alive.@Fmohnigeria @NigEducation @PoliceNG @OfficialDSSNG @NGRPresident
#FreeThe20MedStudents pic.twitter.com/iYvWtdVneC
— Nigerian Medical Association (@nationalnma) August 17, 2024
The kidnapping was also confirmed by Catherine Anene, public relations officer for police in Benue State.
Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue State, said in a statement that he had “directed security agencies in the state to intensify efforts and ensure the safe release” of the students.
The national police said in a statement that it had ordered the deployment of “advanced helicopters and drones, as well as the use of specialized tactical vehicles to facilitate the search and secure the safe return of the victims”.
The kidnapped students were reportedly travelling from the northern part of the country in a convoy of two buses when the incident occurred, Nigeria’s This Day newspaper reported.
The students were abducted on the road near the town of Otukpo, less than 150km (93 miles) from Enugu, which often witnesses attacks and kidnappings.
Cases of kidnapping have increased significantly in Nigeria due to a severe economic crisis which is pushing more people towards crime. However, official figures are unreliable as many cases are not reported.
In 2022, a law was passed banning payments to kidnappers – but many families say they feel they have no choice but to cough up the ransoms demanded.
Nigerian consultancy firm SBM Intelligence said it had recorded 4,777 cases between May 2023, when Bola Tinubu assumed charge as president, and January 2024.
Lebanon’s disaster management unit raises the death toll from weeks of Israeli attacks to 2,454, with 7,658 people injured.
Published On 22 Apr 2026
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A gunman who fatally shot a Canadian tourist and wounded more than a dozen others atop a historic pyramid in Mexico on Monday has been identified, according to officials.
Authorities identified the gunman as 27-year-old Julio Cesar Jasso, a Mexican national, according to a state official who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
Jasso later died by suicide after turning the gun on himself, and security officials found a gun, a knife and ammunition. Authorities said he acted alone, with the State of Mexico government confirming he was the sole assailant on Monday night.
Officials said seven of the victims were struck by gunfire, while others were hurt in the chaos as people scrambled to get down from the pyramids, with some falling during the panic.
EX-TV REPORTER ALLEGEDLY TURNED ROADSIDE GUNMAN, GRILLED VICTIMS ON ETHNICITY BEFORE OPENING FIRE
The Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun are seen along with smaller structures lining the Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, Mexico, on March 19, 2020. A gunman killed a Canadian tourist and injured several others before taking his own life at the popular site, authorities said Monday. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP)
Those hospitalized included tourists from several countries, among them the United States, Colombia, Russia, Brazil and Canada, authorities said. The victims ranged in age from 6 to 61.
Footage circulating in local media appears to show the suspect positioned atop the structure as visitors rushed for safety below, with gunfire echoing across the site.
Police and forensic workers stand on a pyramid after authorities said a gunman opened fire in Teotihuacan, Mexico, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
The Teotihuacan complex, located just outside Mexico City, is one of the country’s most visited archaeological landmarks, drawing millions of international visitors each year to its towering pre-Hispanic structures.
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The shooting took place shortly after 11:30 a.m. when dozens of tourists were at the top of the Pyramid of the Moon.
Security measures at the site have changed in recent years, with routine entry screenings no longer consistently in place, according to a local guide.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on social media that the shooting would be investigated and that she was in touch with the Canadian Embassy.
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“What happened today in Teotihuacán deeply pains us. I express my most sincere solidarity with the affected individuals and their families,” she wrote.
Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, said on X that as a “result of a horrific act of gun violence, a Canadian was killed and another wounded in Teotihuacán” and that her “thoughts are with their family and loved ones.”
People visit the Pyramid of the Sun in the pre-Hispanic city of Teotihuacan near Mexico City, Mexico, on March 21, 2024, following the spring equinox. (Henry Romero/Reuters)
Later in the evening, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson also expressed “deep concern” and sadness over the deaths and numerous injuries, and said in a post on X that the U.S. is “ready to provide support as needed while Mexican authorities continue their investigation.”
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The National Institute of Anthropology and History said in a statement that the Teotihuacán archaeological site will remain closed until further notice.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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