ABUJA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A search operation has been launched for at least 20 medical students who were allegedly kidnapped during a road trip in central Nigeria, authorities said on Friday.
The students from the University of Jos, based on the middle-belt region of Nigeria, were kidnapped Thursday evening in Otukpo, a town in the north-central state of Benue, Catherine Sewuese Anene, a spokeswoman for the police, told Xinhua.
Anene said the abductees, who were on a mission to attend the annual convention of the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students in the southern state of Enugu, were ambushed and taken hostage midway on the voyage by suspected gunmen.
An investigation has been launched into the incident, she said, adding that security agencies have been alerted to fish out the gunmen and rescue the abductees.
