Kidnapped Professor in Nigeria Freed After Terrifying Gunmen Attack

Kidnapped Professor in Nigeria Freed After Terrifying Gunmen Attack

Kidnapped professor in Nigeria, Herbert Batta, has been freed after surviving a terrifying ordeal at the hands of gunmen in the southeast region of the country. The respected academic, who leads the Department of Information and Media Studies at the University of Uyo, was abducted during daylight in Imo State while returning from a trip.

The professor’s release has brought immense relief to his colleagues, family, and students. However, it remains unclear whether he was rescued by security forces or released after a ransom was paid.

A lecturer who witnessed the ambush shared chilling details of the attack. According to the eyewitness, they were heading toward Okpala after passing the Sam Mbakwe Airport when gunshots suddenly erupted. “There were some vehicles ahead of us. We now heard gunshots,” he recalled. “I thought the police were having a confrontation, but on a closer look, they looked like Fulani persons.”

The driver tried to reverse the vehicle, attempting to retreat toward the airport. But it was a trap. Another group of gunmen had already blocked that route, waiting in ambush. “We were facing them while the ones behind were coming toward us,” the lecturer said. “Someone was shot, and I felt the man may have died because of the way he was lying there, almost lifeless.”

In the chaos that followed, Professor Batta, the driver, and other passengers were dragged from the vehicle and taken into the bush. “Our driver was taken, Professor Batta was taken,” the witness said. “Others were also taken randomly. There were so much gunshots that I feared for stray bullets.”

As news of the abduction spread, concern swept across the University of Uyo. The school registrar, Blossom Okorie, did not respond to calls, further fueling tension. Many on campus feared the worst as no immediate word came from law enforcement.

The Imo State Police confirmed the kidnapping incident along Aba Road – Ngor-Okpala. However, they stopped short of naming Professor Batta as one of the abductees. “We have initiated action on it,” said Henry Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police. “We are doing everything possible to see how we can rescue the victims, but I don’t know if this professor is involved.”

Despite official silence, the truth emerged from within the professor’s faculty. Professor Charles Obot, a colleague, spoke directly with Batta after his release. “I don’t know whether to say they were eventually released or rescued from the Fulani herdsmen kidnappers,” he said. “I’ve spoken with him. He mandated me to disseminate the information that he was trying to do some usual documentation at a police station in Owerri.”

“He’s been released. That’s the better news,” Professor Obot added. His voice carried the relief of an entire academic community.

The release was later confirmed again when Professor Obot shared the news on Facebook, sparking relief and celebration from colleagues, friends, and concerned citizens who had followed the story closely.

Although the incident ended without loss of life for Professor Batta, it exposed once more the brutal tactics of armed groups operating in Nigeria’s southeast. The identity of the gunmen remains officially unconfirmed, but eyewitnesses described them as resembling Fulani herders, a group often linked to past rural abductions.

This case adds to Nigeria’s growing record of academic professionals being caught in violent crime. Batta’s experience highlights the vulnerability of even prominent figures in areas struggling with insecurity. The fear remains real, especially in rural roads and isolated stretches where security presence is thin.

While many are thankful for the professor’s safe return, the fear lingers. “It could’ve been anyone,” a student at the university said. “How can lecturers go to teach when roads aren’t even safe?”

There has been no official word on whether the kidnappers demanded or received ransom. Authorities have also not disclosed the number of others abducted alongside Batta or the details of their status.

For now, the professor is back in touch with his colleagues, completing police documentation and expected to return home soon. His community celebrates not just his freedom, but his survival in a region where many similar stories end in tragedy.