Sokoto Government Denies Report That 18 Gamji College Students Were Kidnapped

The Sokoto State Government on Monday dismissed as false a widely circulated report claiming that 18 students of Gamji College of Health Technology were abducted while travelling by bus to Oyo State.

In a statement, Abubakar Bawa, Director‑General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto, said the allegation — attributed to an online news outlet — was inaccurate and risked creating unnecessary alarm among students, parents and the general public.

“For the avoidance of doubt and to set the record straight, no student of Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto, was abducted by suspected terrorists,” the statement read.

The government said the person at the centre of the reported kidnapping is Halima Sokeni, whom authorities identified as a former student who graduated as a midwife from Gamji College of Nursing Sciences, More Area, in September 2026. According to the statement, Sokeni was travelling home on Thursday, October 1, when she and other passengers were reportedly abducted in Niger State.

Sokoto officials urged members of the public to disregard the earlier report, describing it as “false and having no basis in fact.” They warned that unverified accounts of abductions and other security incidents can intensify public anxiety and damage the reputation of institutions and government agencies.

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The clarification comes amid heightened concerns about insecurity on some interstate routes in northern Nigeria, where travellers have been targeted in recent years. The Sokoto government called on journalists and media organizations to verify information thoroughly before publication and adhere to professional reporting standards.

Authorities did not provide details about the number or identities of other victims allegedly taken in Niger State, nor did they give an update on any ongoing recovery or law‑enforcement response in that incident.