Gunmen abducted three students of the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia) from an off-campus hostel in Nasarawa State, with police confirming the rescue of one victim even as efforts continue to secure the release of the remaining two.

According to the Nasarawa State Police Command, the students were kidnapped at about 9:20 p.m. on a Tuesday night from Living Seed Lodge, an off-campus hostel situated in a bushy area on the outskirts of the university's residential community in Lafia. Police spokesperson SP Ramhan Nansel said the command received a distress call from the university's Chief Security Officer, alerting them that unidentified armed men had invaded the lodge and whisked away three students.

Following the report, Commissioner of Police Shetima Jauro Mohammed directed the immediate deployment of tactical teams, patrol operatives and additional security personnel to the area. A coordinated search-and-rescue operation was launched in the surrounding forest shortly afterward, resulting in the successful rescue of one of the abducted students. Police say efforts remain focused on locating and securing the release of the two students still being held, alongside ongoing work to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack.

The identities of the affected students have not been publicly disclosed, and security patrols have since been intensified around student residential areas in Lafia as a precautionary measure. Police have urged residents to remain calm and vigilant, while appealing to members of the public to promptly report any suspicious activity that could assist ongoing operations.

The incident adds to a troubling pattern of attacks targeting tertiary students in Nasarawa State this year. In May, gunmen stormed an off-campus lodge in Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area, abducting six engineering students from Nasarawa State University's Gudi Campus along with a visitor who happened to be at the residence at the time. That incident similarly prompted a swift security response, with the state police commissioner personally visiting the scene and redeploying area commanders to strengthen the rescue operation.

The recurrence of such attacks has intensified scrutiny of security arrangements around off-campus student housing across Nasarawa State, with many students residing in hostels situated in relatively secluded, poorly secured areas on the outskirts of university communities β€” a vulnerability security analysts say continues to be exploited by armed groups operating in the region. As investigations into the latest abduction continue, police say they remain committed to ensuring the safe recovery of the remaining victims and to strengthening security measures around vulnerable student communities going forward.