SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Date of Incident: July 19, 2022

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Arthur Jarvis University

Region & Country:Western Africa | Nigeria

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On July 19, 2022, unidentified armed individuals abducted Arthur Jarvis University student Josephine Etim Edet. Several additional students were injured while evading the gunmen, while News Central TV noted that one student was killed; SAR has not confirmed the killing.

Edet was taken to a nearby forest after the attack. While SAR has not confirmed the motive for the abduction, it is important to note that Nigerian higher education institutions have been frequently targeted by kidnappers taking students and personnel captive in pursuit of ransom.

On July 21, police located Edet and engaged in a shootout with her captors.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about gunmen attacking a higher education institution, abducting a student, and injuring others. Authorities must take measures to ensure the safety of students and prevent violence at university facilities. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, abductions and violence targeting members of the higher education system undermine the conditions needed for the meaningful exercise of the right to education and academic freedom.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/543840-gunmen-abduct-university-student.html
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2022/07/police-rescue-arthur-jarvis-varsity-student-from-kidnappers-kill-suspects/
https://punchng.com/cross-river-police-rescue-abducted-female-varsity-student/
https://newscentral.africa/josephine-tim-det-one-killed-one-abducted-in-cross-river-private-varsity/