Witnesses recounted how the professor and others were lured.
A Nigerian professor has been released, lured by gunmen in the southeastern part of the country.
Professor Herbert Batta, a lecturer in the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at Akwa Ibom State University, was on his way home from his trip when he was accused in IMO state on Tuesday.
A professor of science and health communication, Batta is currently head of the university’s information and media research department.
Details of his release were still rough and we could not confirm whether he was released by a security operative or after the ransom was paid.
Invitation
A colleague of the victim who sent a voice memo to another colleague said they had passed Sam Mbakwe Airport, heading to Okpala when the incident occurred.
A colleague said the incident occurred between 6pm and 6:30pm, adding that there was plenty of sunlight.
“We had a few vehicles in front of us. We’ve heard gunshots. The police thought they were in conflict, but if you look closely they look like Fulani people.
According to the instructor, the driver attempts to turn around in an attempt to return to the airport axis, but only meets another lureman lying in an ambush there.
“We were facing them while the person behind us was heading towards us. Someone was shot and I felt he might have died because of the way he was lying there.
“Our driver was taken, Professor Grasshopper was taken,” the lecturer said. He added that others were taken randomly.
“There were so many gunshots that I was afraid of bullets on stage,” the lecturer added.
The police will respond
State police spokesman Henry Okoy confirmed the incident with the Premium Times Wednesday morning but said it has not yet been officially explained to him to see if the professor is among those accused.
“After the airport, I know of the lunar incident that occurred along the Avalord-ngor-okpala.
“We’ve started to act on that. We’re doing everything we can to see how to save the victims, but we don’t know if this professor is involved.”
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He was released – another colleague
Blossom Okorie, registrar at UYO University, where the invited professor works, did not respond to the call for comment.
However, another professor, Charles Obott, told reporters that the victim had been released by the same faculty member as the victim.
“I don’t know if they should say they were eventually released or rescued by the Fulani herdsmen’s temptation. I spoke to him. He ordered me to spread information that he was trying to do regular documents at Oweri’s police station.
“He’s been released. That’s better news,” Obott told the Premium Times Wednesday.
Obot also shares news about a colleague’s release on Facebook.
