. We didn’t disown them, say FECA authorities

By Tola Gbadamosi

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Two graduates of the Federal College of Agriculture (FECA), Akure, who were recently kidnapped by some assailants, have regained their freedom.

This was disclosed by one of the victims, a farmer who was kidnapped alongside the FECA graduates. They were abducted in the Oba-Ile Airport area while returning from the farm, where they had gone to do some menial work.

The farmer, who preferred to remain anonymous, narrated his ordeal at the kidnappers’ den during an interview with The Hope correspondent. He stated that they were released at midnight on Sunday, February 16,, 2025.

According to him, four people were kidnapped that day on the farm, contrary to earlier reports that only three people were abducted. He also confirmed that the freed FECA graduates had since been reunited with their families.

Meanwhile, the authorities at FECA clarified that they did not disown the two students when they were kidnapped.

Rather, the institution explained that it only clarified their status as graduates of the college who were undergoing their Industrial Training (IT) at the time of the incident.

FECA, in a letter to The Hope Newspaper over the weekend, protested against a recent headline in the newspaper that read, “FECA Disowns Abducted Students, Says They Are Graduates.” The institution described the headline as misleading and demanded an apology.

However, when The Hope initially reported the abduction of the two students three weeks ago, the police confirmed to our correspondent that the victims were students of the college. All efforts to get a response from FECA authorities at the time were unsuccessful.

In response to The Hope’s follow-up story, which seemingly suggested that the institution disowned the abducted students, the FECA Provost stated:

“This headline misrepresents the institution’s official stance and creates an unfair perception of the college before the general public.

“It falsely suggests that FECA is denying its connection to the abducted individuals, whereas the official press statement issued by the college explicitly clarified that the victims are graduates currently undergoing their mandatory Industrial Training (IT), which takes place outside the institution’s academic jurisdiction.

“It is disappointing that despite The Hope’s proximity to the college, no effort was made to seek clarification directly from us before publishing such a misleading and damaging headline.

“FECA remains deeply concerned about the safety of the abducted individuals and has clearly expressed its sympathy and support for their families.

“However, misrepresenting the college’s position to the public is not only unfair but also capable of causing unnecessary panic and reputational damage,” the FECA authorities protested.