Their reported abduction has caused anxiety among their families, friends and members of the university community.

While a source within the university said the two students had been released, another source maintained that they remained in captivity.

Meanwhile, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), in a statement, welcomed the safe release of the abducted female students, commending the security agencies and others whose efforts contributed to their rescue.

Describing their safe return as a relief to their families, fellow students and the university community, the group urged authorities not to allow the students’ release to overshadow the recurring security threats around FUTO, calling for sustained and coordinated measures to prevent further kidnappings and violent attacks.

RULAAC’s statement coincides with reports that the abductors demanded N100 million as ransom for their release, although the claim could not be independently verified.

Brother mourns

Obinna Collins Onuoha, who described himself as the deceased’s only blood brother, expressed shock and grief over his death.

In a Facebook post, he said his brother was killed while taking his children back to FUTO.

“My only blood brother is gone!!!! Shot and killed while taking his children back to FUTO. Who did this to us? Killed before his sons!! Cha, what a wicked world. Your killers will never go free! Rest in peace, my blood,” he wrote.

ASUU raises alarm over perimeter fencing

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), FUTO branch, Dr Chinedu Ihejirika, attributed part of the security challenges facing the university to the absence of a complete perimeter fence around the institution.

Ihejirika said the problem had persisted for years, noting that successive vice-chancellors had raised concerns about the need to properly secure the university’s boundaries.

“The security challenges we have is that FUTO is not walled off and this has given rise to insecurity. But it did not start today. Many vice-chancellors of the university had called for the perimeter fencing of the institution,” he said.

He recalled that during the tenure of either Prof. Asiabaka or Prof. Francis Eze, portions of the university were fenced as part of efforts to improve security.

He alleged, however, that some hoodlums later pulled down sections of the fence and carted away materials belonging to the university.

According to him, securing FUTO should not be left to the university authorities alone, as it requires collaboration among security agencies, traditional institutions, residents and other stakeholders.

“The issue of security is not FUTO alone; it is a joint effort of the security agencies, traditional institutions, residents and other individuals,” he said.

Ihejirika also commended the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ikechukwu Dozie, for engaging security agencies over the security situation.

He said Dozie had visited relevant security formations and sought stronger collaboration to address insecurity around the university.

FUTO seeks police intervention

Following the attack, the university management approached the Imo State Police Command for urgent assistance.

The Vice-Chancellor led a delegation of the university management to the Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, where they raised concerns over the safety of students and other members of the university community.

The delegation also sought police assistance in securing the safe recovery of the abducted students.

The commissioner reportedly assured the university management of the command’s commitment to securing the institution and working towards the safe recovery of the students.

He also said security operatives were making efforts to track the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Ihejirika also linked the security concerns to the poor condition of roads around the university, particularly routes leading to the area where the latest incident occurred.

“Our roads are completely damaged. From Obinze Junction to FUTO is damaged, likewise the Back Gate or East Gate where the incident happened,” he said.

He appealed to the Imo State Government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and FUTO alumni to collaborate on the rehabilitation of the roads.

“We need NDDC, government and alumni to come together to rehabilitate the roads to secure lives and property,” he said.

He also expressed concern over thick bushes surrounding parts of the university, saying they could provide hiding places for criminals and increase the vulnerability of students and residents.

Residents demand urgent action

Residents living around FUTO have also called for urgent measures to address the security situation in the area.

They expressed concern about the vulnerability of students and residents who use poorly maintained roads and routes bordered by overgrown vegetation.

The residents called on the state and federal governments, security agencies and other relevant authorities to strengthen security around the university and neighbouring communities.

They urged the authorities to clear overgrown bushes, rehabilitate access roads, increase security patrols and complete the perimeter fencing of the institution.

According to them, securing FUTO is not only about protecting students and staff but also the thousands of residents who live and operate businesses around the university.

They warned that continued neglect of the security vulnerabilities around the institution could expose more students and residents to kidnappers and other criminal elements.

The latest incident has heightened calls for intensified security operations around FUTO as families and members of the university community await clarity on the whereabouts of the two students and efforts to secure their safe release.

He called on the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the killing.

“We demand a thorough and credible investigation that will establish exactly what happened, identify all those responsible, apprehend the perpetrators and ensure that they are brought before the courts to face the full might of the law,” he said.

NICASA also urged Nigerian diplomatic authorities in South Africa to continue engaging with relevant South African authorities and monitor the progress of the investigation until justice is served.

It does not collect information that would enable NELFUND to determine whether a student belongs to the APC or supports another political party.

“I have not heard this allegation, but I can tell you that it’s a completely ridiculous idea that the administration of Bola Tinubu is focused on trying to fund people who support the party. We are talking about students; many of them are yet to vote, some of them are going to be voting for the first time, [and] many of them are not party members.

“How, in any event, do we determine who is a party member and who isn’t? Even if you are running a manual process, how do you do that? You can’t. It’s unlikely to yield you any result.

“It is a process you have to apply for this loan electronically. If you don’t have a name, you can’t apply for this loan. You provide your matriculation number; you have to be in a public institution,” he said.

The NELFUND boss said the allegation also failed to take into account the nature of the beneficiaries targeted by the programme.

He noted that many students accessing the loans are young people who have not yet participated in an election. Some are also not members of any political party.Executive Branch

Sawyerr therefore maintained that using political affiliation as a basis for deciding beneficiaries would be impractical under the existing system.

He said NELFUND’s focus is on Nigerian students who meet the conditions for the loan and are enrolled in eligible public tertiary institutions.

Sawyerr described the demand for the scheme as “overwhelming”, saying many students and their families were struggling to meet the financial demands of tertiary education.

“The demand has been overwhelming, because clearly a lot of people have struggled to get into these institutions,” he said. “They are hanging on by the skin of their teeth to stay in the institution, and this programme came as a rescue for them.”

He disclosed that NELFUND had so far disbursed about N162 billion in upkeep allowances to students.

The fund is also examining application and disbursement figures as demand increases, with the agency seeking to understand the financial requirements needed to sustain the programme.

The student loan initiative was introduced by the Federal Government as part of efforts to reduce financial barriers to higher education.

President Bola Tinubu signed the Student Loans Act into law in April 2024, paving the way for the current NELFUND structure. The scheme provides interest-free financial support to eligible Nigerian students in public tertiary institutions.

It covers approved institutional charges and upkeep support for qualified beneficiaries.

The programme was designed to give students access to funding without requiring them to depend entirely on their parents or guardians to remain in school.

NELFUND has repeatedly stressed the importance of an electronic process in managing applications and disbursements.

The system allows applicants to submit their information for verification before their applications are processed.

Sawyerr further insisted that the system does not discriminate based on religion, ethnicity or gender.

“We have a system that is focused on people who are Nigerians and meet the standard. The system doesn’t recognise your gender. There is no bias in the system at the front end or the back end.

“This is a system that doesn’t care whether you are of one tribe or the other. This system does not have a view or an opinion on whether you are a Christian, a Muslim, or an African traditional religionist; it doesn’t want to know.”

The NELFUND chief also spoke about the impact of the scheme on student retention.

He said available figures indicated that the programme had contributed to a reduction in the number of students dropping out of tertiary institutions, with the reduction put at about 20 per cent.

Sawyerr also addressed concerns surrounding repayment of the loans.

He maintained that beneficiaries would not be subjected to an unreasonable repayment burden, noting that repayment would be tied to their ability to pay after completing their studies.

Under the current structure, repayment is expected to commence two years after beneficiaries complete the National Youth Service Corps programme.

The NELFUND boss also disclosed that funds President Tinubu announced would be recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and channelled into the student loan scheme had not yet been received by the fund.