By Peter Parker
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council, Lagos, has condemned growing insecurity on federal highways following a narrow escape by its leaders from an attempted kidnapping along the Ilesa axis of Osun State.
The students were en route from Lagos to the South-West Zone D Convention at Ekiti State University when their vehicle was ambushed late Friday night, after a two-hour delay caused by a mechanical fault.
Suspected kidnappers reportedly emerged from nearby bushes, using torchlights to block the vehicle.
NANS said quick action by the driver allowed the students to reverse and escape, narrowly avoiding capture.
The association described the incident as a “split-second decision between captivity and survival.”
The group expressed concern that no security personnel were present during the attack and warned that other travellers may have been targeted in the same area.
NANS described the episode as evidence of a “glaring collapse” in intelligence gathering and highway patrol, highlighting risks to students and other road users.
The association called on the federal and state governments to urgently strengthen security along highways and known flashpoints, warning that students nationwide may mobilise if safety measures are not enhanced.
